The Cold Hardiness of Mass Soil Invertebrates of Northeastern Asia: 2. The Cold Hardiness of Soil Invertebrates as Adaptation to Climate

Abstract

The distribution of soil invertebrates from different taxa and the adaptive potential of all three cold hardiness strategies in the cold climate of northeastern Asia are analyzed. The correlation between the resistance to low temperatures and the overwintering conditions in habitats of some species is studied. The mechanisms and degree of cold hardiness are shown generally to be unrelated to the taxonomic proximity. The effect of the resistance to low wintering temperatures on the habitat distribution and faunogenesis of soil invertebrates in permafrost regions is discussed.