Hartke, T. R. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

Edge computer vision produces microarthropod-based high-throughput biodiversity metrics

Soil fauna is crucial for carbon cycling, controlling organic matter decomposition and contributing to ecosystem services1-7. Soil microarthropods are top-down regulators in the decomposer food web and serve as fundamental indicators of soil health. Yet, routine field-level monitoring remains restricted to resource-intensive research, leaving a critical gap in arable land management and policy. To address this, we developed Edapholog(R) extractor, a fully automated laboratory device that detects and identifies live soil microarthropods via real-time, AI-based image analysis, enabling taxonomic identification. Here, we demonstrate its accuracy across 319 arable fields spanning ten European countries. We show that computer vision can support ecological interpretation in arable systems and long-term studies on conservation tillage and cover cropping, offering a scalable tool for integrating soil biodiversity metrics into regenerative agriculture and carbon farming. We validated the system against classical taxonomy and found that across [~]35,000 microarthropod individuals, the device achieved an overall accuracy of 86%, sensitivity of 75%, and specificity of 99% compared to manual identifications. Community composition analyses revealed high similarities (83%), with minimal richness differences (7%) and low species replacement (13%) across countries, indicating that the AI does not introduce taxonomic bias. When applied in a long-term field experiment, the system detected significant taxon-specific responses to conservation tillage, with effect sizes ranging from 0.5 to 4. Total abundance, richness, and a soil biological health index were 39%, 47%, and 150% higher, respectively, under conservation tillage compared to conventional ploughing. These effects were statistically consistent between the automated and classical methods. However, while manual microscopy required several hours per sample, the AI-based system delivered immediate results without the need for taxonomic expertise. Edapholog(R) extractor offers exciting opportunities for rapid, scalable soil biodiversity monitoring for future sustainable land management.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Rapid diversification of the Australian Amitermes group during late Cenozoic climate change

Late Cenozoic climate change led to the progressive aridification of Australia over the past 15 million years. This gradual biome turnover fundamentally changed Australias ecosystems, opening new niches and prompting diversification of plants and animals. One example is the Australian Amitermes Group (AAG), consisting of the Australian Amitermes and affiliated genera. Although it represents the most speciose and diverse higher termite group in Australia, little is known about its evolutionary history. We used ancestral range reconstruction and diversification analyses to illuminate 1) the origin and phylogenetic relationships of the AAG, 2) biogeographical processes leading to the current continent-wide distribution, and 3) timing and pattern of diversification in the context of late Cenozoic climate change. By estimating the first time-calibrated phylogeny, we show that the AAG is a monophyletic group, whose ancestor arrived ~11-10 million years ago from Southeast Asia. Ancestral range reconstruction indicates that Australias monsoon region was the launching point for a continental radiation that has been shaped by range expansions and within-area speciation rather than vicariance. We found that multiple arid species diversified from mesic and tropical ancestors in the Plio-Pleistocene, but also observed diversification in the opposite direction. Finally, we show that two pulses of rapid diversification coincided with past climate change during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Consistent with rapid diversification, species accumulation slowed, likely caused by progressive niche saturation. This study provides a stepping stone for predicting the future response of Australias termite fauna in the face of human-mediated climate change.

evolutionary biology↗