Institutes & CentersInstitute for Alpine Environment - Landuse and Climate Change - Projects - AlpSoil

AlpSoil

Ecology and trophic structure of Alpine soil invertebrates

Alpine soil ecosystems and their invertebrate inhabitants are the main focus of the AlpSoil project. Semi-natural grasslands, widespread in the Alps, suffer from many environmental and socio-economic changes such as climate change and abandonment of traditional land-use. Soil invertebrates of Alpine ecosystems play a crucial role in litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and pedogenesis, and thus may contribute to the resistance against natural hazards, but little is still known about their species composition and trophic structure. We employ a broad sampling approach along elevation and land-use gradients to analyze the community composition and structure of soil invertebrates as well as links with their abiotic and biotic environment. We use traditional methods such as pitfall traps and heat-extraction of soil animals as well as modern methods such as stable isotopes and molecular techniques.

Project duration: January 2018 - December 2027
Project status:
Funding:
Internal funding EURAC (Project)
Website: https://www.researchgate.net/project/ALPSOIL-Ecology-and-trophic-structure-of-the-Alpine-soil-macrofauna
Institute: Institute for Alpine Environment

Discover

See related experts, publications, and research topics.

Search for "AlpSoil Ecology and trophic…"

Explore "AlpSoil" in Discover

biodiversity mountains ecosystems

Soil Survey
Credit: Eurac Research | Ivo Corrà

Scientific Publications

Journal article2025

Biodiversity in mountain soils above the treeline

Praeg N, Steinwandter M, Urbach D, Snethlage MA, Alves RP, Apple ME, Bilovitz P, Britton AJ,

Julia Seeber, Michael Steinwandter, Elia Guariento

Biological diversity in mountain ecosystems has been increasingly studied over the last decade. This is also the case for mountain soils, but no study to date has provided an overall synthesis of the current state of knowledge. Here we fill this gap with a first global analysis of published research on cryptogams, microorganisms, and fauna in mountain soils above the treeline, and a structured synthesis of current knowledge. Based on a corpus of almost 1400 publications and the expertise of 37 mountain soil scientists worldwide, we summarise what is known about the diversity and distribution patterns of each of these organismal groups, specifically along elevation, and provide an overview of available knowledge on the drivers explaining these patterns and their changes. In particular, we document an elevation-dependent decrease in faunal diversity above the treeline, while for cryptogams there is an initial increase above the treeline, followed by a decrease towards the nival belt. Thus, our data confirm the key role that elevation plays in shaping the biodiversity and distribution of these organisms in mountain soils. The response of prokaryote diversity to elevation, in turn, was more diverse, whereas fungal diversity appeared to be substantially influenced by plants. As far as available, we describe key characteristics, adaptations, and functions of mountain soil species, and despite a lack of ecological information about the uncultivated majority of prokaryotes, fungi, and protists, we illustrate the remarkable and unique diversity of life forms and life histories encountered in alpine mountain soils. By applying rule- as well as pattern-based literature-mining approaches and semi-quantitative analyses, we identified hotspots of mountain soil research in the European Alps and Central Asia and revealed significant gaps in taxonomic coverage, particularly among biocrusts, soil protists, and soil fauna. We further report thematic priorities for research on mountain soil biodiversity above the treeline and identify unanswered research questions. Building upon the outcomes of this synthesis, we conclude with a set of research opportunities for mountain soil biodiversity research worldwide. Soils in mountain ecosystems above the treeline fulfil critical functions and make essential contributions to life on land. Accordingly, seizing these opportunities and closing knowledge gaps appears crucial to enable science-based decision making in mountain regions and formulating laws and guidelines in support of mountain soil biodiversity conservation targets.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.1111/brv.70028

Journal article2025

Molecular and morphological identification methods show contrasting trends in soil fauna diversity along land-use intensity gradients

Köninger J, Beule L, Tsiafouli M, Seeber J, Blasbichler H, Sousa JP, Da Silva PM, Frouz J,

Julia Seeber, Helene Blasbichler

Current advancements in molecular techniques for identifying multiple species from bulked soil samples have expanded our capacity for large-scale soil biodiversity assessments. However, these methods often lack validation and contextualization. Recent cross-European studies based on environmental DNA (eDNA) have reported unexpectedly high biodiversity in intensively managed agricultural soils compared to woodlands and grasslands, challenging previous findings based on morphological assessments. Here, we analyze these discrepancies by comparing standardized soil faunal diversity data from the LUCAS Soil 2018 survey (eDNA) with morphological assessments from the EU-funded projects EcoFINDERS (2012) and SOILSERVICE (2015). We found that molecular methods indicate higher soil biodiversity in croplands, whereas morphological methods suggest the opposite trend. A significant variability in diversity metrics across ecosystem types emphasizes the need to compare and validate molecular results with complementary morphological approaches. The increasing need for biodiversity indicators and thresholds in monitoring frameworks demands robust methods, yet widely used molecular techniques remain insufficiently standardized. We call for more systematic assessments to clarify the interpretation of eDNA signals (e.g., primer bias, relict DNA), and to enable a better integration of molecular and morphological data in conservation policies and large-scale monitoring efforts.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106499

Journal article2025

Norway spruce dominates natural regeneration five years after a large-scale wind disturbance in the higher montane and lower subalpine belts in the eastern Alps

Condotti A, Ennemoser M, Seeber J, Tomelleri E

Julia Seeber

Natural forest regeneration following disturbances is highly variable and often slow in high-altitude mountain forests. Among disturbance types, windstorms have emerged as major drivers of forest dynamics in Europe over recent decades. Post-disturbance forest regeneration is influenced by multiple factors, including salvage logging intensity, browsing pressure, climatic conditions and topography. In 2018, the Vaia storm damaged 1.7 % of the forest area in South Tyrol, providing a unique opportunity to study regeneration dynamics. Here, we assessed natural regeneration five years after the event by analyzing tree species composition, height distribution, and density across windthrow areas. The influence of site factors such as deadwood presence and elevation was evaluated, and terminal shoot browsing was quantified to identify potential deviations from stocking targets. In addition to field measurements, the use of Earth Observation data was tested to distinguish between poorly and well-regenerated sites. The regeneration was dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst) (65 %), followed by pioneer species including rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), willow (Salixs spp.), and birch (Betula pendula) (27 % combined). Seventy-four percent of individuals were ≤ 25 cm tall, and regeneration was concentrated at forest edges, with only 34 % of plots reaching the standard target of 3.500 undamaged individuals per hectare. Deadwood presence negatively affected both tree density and species richness, while lower elevations favored regeneration. Terminal shoot browsing affected 25 % of all small trees, with highest damage observed for Silver fir (Abies alba Mill) (53 %) and willow (60 %). The Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) showed a moderate positive correlation with regeneration success (R= 0.58). Our findings highlight critical factors shaping early post-disturbance regeneration and suggest that integrating field data with Earth Observation data can support targeted forest restoration measures.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123053

Journal article2025

OniscidBase: A call for contributions to a global database to advance terrestrial isopod research

Gongalsky KB, De Smedt P, Kuznetsova DM, Segers S, Gardini P, Hornung E, Korobushkin DI, Orihuela‑Rivero R,

Michael Steinwandter

Terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea), commonly known as woodlice, are among the most recognisable soil-dwelling inver-
tebrates and are crucial for soil functioning. They are widely distributed from temperate to equatorial ecosystems, and their
distribution is strongly influenced by environmental factors, such as soil type, temperature and humidity. Terrestrial isopods have
fascinated taxonomists for centuries, with over 4,100 described species across 568 genera and 38 or 39 families. These animals
contribute significantly to key ecosystem processes, such as litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration.
However, data on patterns of their diversity, abundance, or biomass, which are crucial for assessing their importance in ecosystem
functioning worldwide, are lacking. This is partly due to the incomplete taxonomy in regions such as the tropics and the scattered
nature of local georeferenced datasets. To better understand the global taxonomic patterns, species distributions, and functional
roles of terrestrial isopods, we call for the compilation of a comprehensive global database that integrates taxonomy, georeferenced
species records, and trait data. This database would help answer fundamental questions about the response of terrestrial isopods to
environmental changes and their role in ecosystem functioning and soil health. OniscidBase, a recently launched initiative, aims
to consolidate such data, facilitating the analysis of taxonomic gaps and assessing the distribution and functional importance of
terrestrial isopods. The database aims to include georeferenced data on the distribution, abundance and biomass of terrestrial iso-
pod species, and metadata on environmental parameters. Our main goals are to strengthen the taxonomic backbone for terrestrial
isopods, make distribution data available for macroecological studies, and collect trait data to understand species responses to en-
vironmental changes and effects on soils. Using these data leads to a deeper understanding of the importance of terrestrial isopods
as components of terrestrial ecosystems and, at the same time, highlights future research directions.

DOI Source

DOI: 10.25674/466

All Publications

Nitrogen deposition reveals global patterns in plant and animal stoichiometry

González AL, Merder J, Andraczek K, Brose U, Filipiak M, Harpole WS, Hillebrand H, Jackson MC, Jochum M, Leroux SJ, Nessel MP, Onstein RE, Paseka R, Perry GLW, Peace A, Rugenski A, Sitters J, Sperfeld E, Striebel M, Zandona E, Mozsár A, Bluhm S, Doi H, Eisenhauer N, Farjalla VF, Hood J, Kratina P, Lovelock C, Moody EK, Pollierer ME, Potapov A, Romero GQ, Roussel JM, Scheu S, Scheunemann N, Seeber J, Steinwandter M, Susanti WI, Tiunov A, Dézerald O (2025)
Journal article
Nature Communications

More information: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65960-0

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65960-0

Molecular and morphological identification methods show contrasting trends in soil fauna diversity along land-use intensity gradients
Köninger J, Beule L, Tsiafouli M, Seeber J, Blasbichler H, Sousa JP, da Silva PM, Frouz J, Hedlund K, Orgiazzi A, Iglesias Briones MJ, Potapov A (2025)
Journal article
Applied Soil Ecology

More information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S09291 ...

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106499

Norway spruce dominates natural regeneration five years after a large-scale wind disturbance in the higher montane and lower subalpine belts in the eastern Alps
Condotti A, Ennemoser M, Seeber J, Tomelleri E (2025)
Journal article
Forest Ecology and Management

More information: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S03781 ...

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123053

Our partners

Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

Laimburg Research Centre

Universität Göttingen

University of Innsbruck, Faculty of Biology

Charles University

German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)

Project Team

Julia Seeber

Michael Steinwandter

Julia Plunger

Ulrike Tappeiner

Elia Guariento

Helene Blasbichler

Jacopo Breschi

Technical
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off.

Service	Decline/Accept	Terms Link
Youtube		https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7671399?...
Vimeo		https://vimeo.com/terms
Flourish		https://flourish.studio/terms/
Datawrapper		https://www.datawrapper.de/terms
Power BI		https://www.microsoft.com/en/servicesagreement/
Facebook		https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies/
Instagram		https://help.instagram.com/1896641480634370?ref=ig
X		https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/twi...
Google Maps		https://maps.google.com/help/terms_maps/
LinkedIn		https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy

Journal article2025

Biodiversity in mountain soils above the treeline

Praeg N, Steinwandter M, Urbach D, Snethlage MA, Alves RP, Apple ME, Bilovitz P, Britton AJ,

Julia Seeber, Michael Steinwandter, Elia Guariento

DOI Source

DOI: 10.1111/brv.70028

AlpSoil