Changes in the abundance and diversity of soil arthropods in the cultivation of fruit crops

Jackson De Lima Araújo,Paulo Furtado Mendes Filho,Patrik Luiz Pastori,Vânia Felipe Freire Gomes,Luís Alfredo Pinheiro Leal Nunes

doi:10.5935/1806-6690.20180061

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of fruit-crop management (mango, guava and coconut) on the composition and distribution of soil arthropods (mesofauna and macrofauna) during seasonal periods in the Curu Valley region of the State of Ceara, Brazil. The study was carried out during the following periods: rainy/dry (July/August 2013), dry (October/ November 2013), dry/rainy (January/February 2014) and rainy (April/May 2014). Pitfall traps were used to capture the arthropods. After sorting, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and the Pielou evenness index were calculated. Diversity values were compared in pairs using Student’s t-test (α = 0.05) in the SAS v 9.0 software (2002). The similarity of the areas and groups was evaluated by multivariate analysis employing the techniques of principal component (PCA) and factor (FA) analysis in the Statistica® software (2014). The abundance and diversity of soil arthropods in the cultivation of fruit trees vary according to the type of management and to the seasonal period in the region. The Acari, Collembola and Formicidae groups were the most abundant in each area and during the four periods of the study. The area cultivated with coconut shows better soil conditions for maintaining the arthropod community in the soil.

Highlights

The soil is a dynamic system; this property results from the joint biological activity of edaphic organisms in processes that involve energy flow, and the relevant stages of the biogeochemical cycles of ecosystems (BARRETT et al, 2011; ESTRADE et al, 2010)
The cultivated area that showed the smallest discrepancy in the results, with similar values for each period of the study, was the area cultivated with mango (Figure 2)
It was found that the Acari, Collembola and Formicidae groups had the highest percentage of individuals, and alternated in predominance in each system and during the four sampling periods (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

The soil is a dynamic system; this property results from the joint biological activity of edaphic organisms in processes that involve energy flow, and the relevant stages of the biogeochemical cycles of ecosystems (BARRETT et al, 2011; ESTRADE et al, 2010). Edaphic fauna is an active part of the agricultural environment, sensitive to the interference caused by soil and crop management (BARETTA et al, 2008). For the effects of management practices on the populations, functions and interactions of soil organisms, Hole et al (2005) state that there is a wide range of response among the different species, most groups display greater abundance or biomass under conservation systems than under conventional-tillage systems, as the former cause less disturbance to their habitats, preserving the structures that serve as shelter. Larger organisms appear to be more affected by crop operations than smaller organisms, being more sensitive to changes in the local microclimate due to ruptures in the physical structure of the soil, which expose the organisms to unfavourable conditions of light, temperature and moisture, and makes them vulnerable to attacks from predators (BARETTA et al, 2011). According to Smith et al (2009) and Baretta et al (2011), changes in the physical environment and the food supply affect different groups of organisms of the most varied life forms, including rhizophages, saprophages, predators and parasitoids, and in some cases can completely destroy the structure of primary communities, leaving them empty for an indefinite period

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