Forest-tundra soil invertebrate communities under conditions of technogenic pollution

A study of soil invertebrate communities in the forest-tundra area under technogenic pollution has shown that, the further from the pollution source one goes, the higher the density of soil invertebrates is. The dependence of meso- and macrofauna on the concentration of heavy metals (Ni, Co, Cu, and Pb) in forest litter has been revealed. The low density and diversity of large saprophages, the degradation of the litter invertebrate complex, and the increasing abundance of predators and phytophagous species indicate that the depressed state of forest-tundra ecosystems is affected by anthropogenic impact.