Seasonal and Spatial Variation in Diversity and Abundance of Tardigrades in Leaf Litter from Louisiana and Florida

During 2002–2003, we collected samples of leaf litter (10-cm diameter) from two woodland sites in southwestern Louisiana and one in central Florida. In Louisiana, we collected at four times (autumn, winter, spring, and summer) and in Florida in spring and summer. We divided each sample into two layers, an upper leafy layer (1–2 cm in depth) and a lower layer of humus (1–2 cm in depth). We detected six species of tardigrades in samples from Louisiana and five in samples from Florida. Seasonal variation in density of tardigrades was pronounced at each site. Tardigrades generally were more abundant in the upper layer. Density and diversity of tardigrades in the leaf litter at these sites were less than in mountainous areas of Italy and Tennessee, USA.