Automatic Drought Tolerance Measurement of the Soil-Living Microarthropod, Folsomia Candida

Soil is a complex habitat where microarthropods, such as mites (Acari) and springtails (Collembola) species occur in high number diversity. Microarthropods play an essential role organic matter decomposition provide important ecosystem service soil. The soil-dwelling microarthropods are sensitive to environmental changes; therefore, their ecological characteristics used evaluate soil conditions. In modern ecology, several involved assessing the consequences of drought periods. growth rate standard sublethal parameter by which body size individuals measured. Extracting from difficult time-consuming, requiring amount human resources. Only few samples can be processed due laboratory limitations costs. However, nowadays rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies promise new opportunities many research areas. Data on could collected quickly automatically using our digital extractor device, Edapholog, equipped with image analysis based AI. This device recognizes living individuals, classifies them, measures length automatically. Using this system, reproductive success various same experimental culture simultaneously monitored. study, we aimed analyse applicability Edapholog for measuring Collembola Folsomia candida through set tolerance tests three moisture treatment levels. Moisture content was maximum water holding capacity (Wmax) applied. levels were Wmax:35%, 40%, 50%. Furthermore, test reliability detection recognition accuracy automatic measurement individuals. Significant correlation (r= 0.94) exists between manually measured sizes. Although different treatments did not show marked differences collembolan sizes treatments, found significant difference reproduction rates W50 other two (W35 W40) treated groups. greatly contribute quick precise data extraction have vast ecology.