Factors influencing soil macrofaunal communities in post-pastoral successions of western France

The soil macrofaunal communities (Lumbricidae, Formicidae, Coleoptera, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Isopoda, Arachnida, Gastropoda) were studied in six plots representing different stages in a theoretical post-pastoral succession on chalk grassland. Macrofaunal biomass was high in all the plots (70.2-140.3 g m(-2)). The macroinvertebrate communities along successional gradients respond to two major environmental factors: the structure of the vegetation, which determines the diversity of microhabitats and life conditions for macroinvertebrates; and the quality of above-ground litter production, which depends on the nature of vegetation and the presence of domestic herbivores. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.