Soil animal communities demonstrate simplification without homogenization along an urban gradient.

ABSTRACT: Urbanization profoundly impacts biodiversity and ecosystem function, exerting an immense ecological filter on the flora and fauna that inhabit it, oftentimes leading to simplistic and homogenous ecological communities. However, the response of soil animal communities to urbanization remains underexplored, and it is unknown whether their response to urbanization is like that of aboveground organisms. This study investigated the influence of urbanization on soil animal communities in 40 public parks along an urbanization gradient. We evaluated soil animal abundance, diversity, and community composition and related these measures to urban and soil characteristics at each park. The most urbanized parks exhibited reduced animal abundance, richness, and Shannon diversity. These changes were infl

SUBMITTER: Bock HW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11610700 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature