02560nas a2200253   4500008004100000245017400041210006900215300001200284490000700296520160700303653001401910653001501924653001501939653002901954653002201983100002602005700002502031700001802056700001902074700002302093700001802116700003402134856013802168       2005                        eng d00aQuantitative extraction of macro-invertebrates from temperate and tropical leaf litter and soil: efficiency and time-dependent taxonomic biases of the Winkler extraction0 aQuantitative extraction of macroinvertebrates from temperate and  a175-1860 v493 aWinkler extractors, a simple device presumed to extract macro-invertebrates efficiently from soil and litter samples, is being used increasingly in ecological surveys and functional studies of soil macro-invertebrate communities. In this study the extraction efficiency and taxonomic bias of the Winkler extraction are evaluated for extraction periods of 3 h up to 7 weeks, calibrated by hand-sorting after 7 weeks. The method extracts most macro-invertebrates completely or to a proportion of over 90% except Isopoda, Diplopoda and Mollusca. However, for an exhaustive result, a long extraction period of several weeks is necessary. For the most speciose group (adult beetles) and for the commonly most abundant group (ants), a short extraction of 3 days was sufficient to get 70% of the individuals and nearly all species. Three days was also sufficient to recover the rank abundance order of beetle families, while for ‘higher taxa’ and for Chilopoda species, 4 and 3 weeks were necessary, respectively. Optimum extraction times for the abundant macro-invertebrate groups and possible adjustment factors for the soil macro-invertebrates of temperate woodlands are proposed to compensate the taxonomic bias caused by short extraction periods. However, for recording an accurate snapshot of the soil and litter fauna at a particular time, shorter extraction periods are advisable because of the short life cycle of many brates; soil invertebrates causing emergence of later stages or a second generation during longer extraction periods. The problem of contamination of samples is also discussed. 10aChilopoda10aCOLEOPTERA10aExtraction10aSoil macro-invertebrates10aWinkler extractor1 aKrell, Frank-Thorsten1 aChung, Arthur, Y. C.1 aDeBoise, Emma1 aEggleton, Paul1 aGiusti, Alessandro1 aInward, Kelly1 aKrell-Westerwalbesloh, Sylvia  uhttps://scarabnet.myspecies.info/quantitative-extraction-macro-invertebrates-temperate-and-tropical-leaf-litter-and-soil-efficiency-a