Danilova M.A.1*, Korobushkin D.I.1, Butenko K.O.2, Zaitsev A.S.1, Saifutdinov R.A.1 2023. Soil microfauna in municipal solid waste landfills: a case study in the Moscow region, European Russia // Invertebrate Zoology. Vol.20. No.4: 353–367 [in English].
1 Laboratory for Soil Ecological Functions, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Leninsky Prospekt 33, Moscow, 119071 Russia.
2 M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow, 119991 Russia.
* Corresponding author. E-mail: ritdanilov@hotmail.com
doi: 10.15298/invertzool.20.4.01
ABSTRACT: The present study focuses on investigating the taxonomic richness and composition of selected groups of soil microfauna, specifically soil ciliates and nematodes, within municipal solid waste landfills located in European Russia. Faunistic surveys were conducted across two landfills, with soil samples collected in the three zones: core sites within the landfill, at the edge of landfills, and control sites located 1 kilometer away from the edges. We revealed distinct faunistic patterns between the landfills core and edge sites vs respective controls. Core sites within the landfills exhibited higher ciliate species richness and nematode abundance. This highlights the landfill effect on soil microfauna community composition. Importantly, certain species of ciliates were exclusively found within the landfills, indicating the presence of a faunistically distinguished community associated with communal waste deposition. Knowing peculiarities of soil microfauna communities in landfills brings ground to further knowledge understanding of soil ecological processes in the landfills. This further opens perspectives for a development of adequate management practices for sustainable communal waste disposal and landfill remediation efforts.
KEY WORDS: soil fauna, Nematoda, Ciliates, municipal solid waste, open dump.