Anthropogenic pressures alter the biodiversity, structure and organization of biological communities with severe consequences for ecosystem processes. Species invasion is such a human‐induced ecosystem change with pronounced impacts on recipient ecosystems. Around the globe, earthworms invade habitats and impact abiotic soil conditions and a wide range of above‐ and belowground organisms. In northern North America, where earthworms have been largely absent since the last glaciation period and most earthworm species present today have only been (re‐)introduced a few hundred years ago, invasion impacts have been intensively studied. However, despite several studies assessing impacts of invasive earthworms on soil fauna, studies have rarely investigated the simultaneous responses of different soil‐fauna size groups and biodiversity facets which might respond differently to earthworm invasion and independently affect ecosystem processes. Our study goes beyond previously‐established knowledge on earthworm‐invasion effects by simultaneously assessing differences in four biodiversity facets, namely the abundance, biomass, richness and Shannon index of soil invertebrate macro‐, meso‐ and microfauna communities between high‐ and low‐invasion status plots (n = 80) and in relation to invasion intensity measured as earthworm biomass across four northern North American forests sampled between 2016 and 2017. Across forests and soil‐fauna groups, we found reduced abundance (−33 to −45%) and richness (−18 to −25%) in high compared to low‐invasion status areas. Additionally, meso‐ (−14%) and microfauna biomass (−38%) and macro‐ (−7%) and microfauna Shannon index (−8%) were reduced. Higher invasion intensity (earthworm biomass) was additionally related to reduced soil‐fauna biodiversity. While the studied biodiversity facet was important for the soil fauna response, soil‐fauna size group was comparably unimportant. Given the global ubiquity of earthworm invasion and the importance of soil fauna for key ecosystem processes, our observational results help to assess future impacts of this invasion and the consequences for anthropogenically‐altered ecosystem functioning.

中文翻译：

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worm入侵导致北美北部森林的土壤动物种群大小和生物多样性方面的下降

人为压力改变了生物群落的生物多样性，结构和组织，对生态系统进程造成了严重后果。物种入侵是人为引起的生态系统变化，对受者生态系统产生了显着影响。the在全球范围内侵入栖息地并影响非生物土壤状况以及各种地上和地下生物。在北美北部，自上次冰川期以来基本上不存在and，而如今存在的大多数earth物种只是几百年前才被（重新）引入，因此对入侵影响进行了深入研究。但是，尽管有几项研究评估了earth对土壤动物的影响，研究很少研究不同土壤动物种群和生物多样性方面的同时反应，这些反应可能对worm的入侵有不同的反应，并独立地影响生态系统过程。通过同时评估四个生物多样性方面的差异，我们的研究超越了对earth入侵影响的认识，即高入侵和低入侵之间土壤无脊椎动物的大型，中型和小型动物群落的丰度，生物量，丰富度和香农指数的差异。状态图（n = 80）以及与入侵强度相关的测量值，该强度以2016年至2017年间采样的北美四个北部森林的forest生物量进行测量。在森林和土壤动物群中，我们发现丰度降低了（-33％至-45％），与低入侵状态区域相比，高度丰富（−18至-25％）。此外，中观（−14％）和微动物区生物量（−38％）以及宏观（−7％）和微动物香农指数（−8％）降低。较高的入侵强度（ear生物量）还与减少土壤动物的生物多样性有关。虽然所研究的生物多样性方面对于土壤动物的反应非常重要，但土壤动物的大小组相对而言并不重要。考虑到the入侵的全球性以及土壤动物对关键生态系统过程的重要性，我们的观察结果有助于评估assess入侵的未来影响以及对人为改变的生态系统功能的后果。虽然所研究的生物多样性方面对于土壤动物的反应非常重要，但土壤动物的大小组相对而言并不重要。考虑到the入侵的全球性以及土壤动物对关键生态系统过程的重要性，我们的观察结果有助于评估assess入侵的未来影响以及对人为改变的生态系统功能的后果。虽然所研究的生物多样性方面对于土壤动物的反应非常重要，但土壤动物的大小组相对而言并不重要。考虑到the入侵的全球性以及土壤动物对关键生态系统过程的重要性，我们的观察结果有助于评估assess入侵的未来影响以及对人为改变的生态系统功能的后果。