COLD HARDINESS OF MASS SOIL INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF NORTHEAST ASIA. 1. COLD HARDINESS AND MECHANISMS OF ITS MAINTENANCE

摘要

Cold hardiness of soil invertebrates (37 species of insects and 27 species of other higher taxa) was studied in continental areas of Northeast Asia, a region with extreme winter temperatures. Insects overwinter mostly (34 species) in supercooled state surviving within the temperature range of-12 to -35 degrees C. 13 species of invertebrates (including insects, slugs, earthworms, centipedes, amphipods) in frozen state can tolerate temperatures within the range of -5 to -45 degrees C. Eggs of slugs, cocoons of earthworms, larvae of some species of elaterids show cryoprotective dehydration that allows them to survive at temperatures from -20 to -40 degrees C, down to the record minimum of -196 degrees C. Most of the studied organisms can tolerate temperatures of- 25...-30 degrees C, which correspond to average minimal temperatures in upper soil horizons in most habitats of the continental regions of Northeast Asia.