Study the biodiversity of soil animals (meso- and macrofauna) in the open-cast mine "Bely Kolodets"

The soil mesofauna is represented by centipedes, insects and their larvae, round and annelid worms, some species of terrestrial crustaceans and mollusks. The macrofauna is characterized by a diversity of vertebrate species in soils. Both groups of animals play an exceptional role in soil and its structure formation. Some species of annelids (include earth-worms), larvae of insects (mainly beetles and flies) are common in black earth (chernozem). They play important role in humification and some steps of mineralisation of organic matters. The succession of soils caused by mining leads to changes in meso- and macrofauna. This process takes plays with different ways.

Objectives:

1. Evaluation of the animal biodiversity in the soils of different periods and age of quarry exploitation.

2. Elaboration of the methods of zoological indication of the soil succession in mine workings.

3. Revelation of biodiversity of invertebrate and some vertebrate animals in the quarry and surrounded soils in purposes of definition of the optimal ways of recultivation and rehabilitation of the mining site “Bely Kolodets”.

Research will allow to defining the optimal ways of the soil recultivation and the enviromental rehabilitation in the open-cast mine "Bely Kolodets". Using data about biodiversity of meso- and macrofauna of the soils of different exploitation time let us accelerate the process of returning soils to horti- and agriculture and forestry. It is favorable to both enviroment and society.