Abstract
Vegetation cover may show diversity and composition patterns of the soil invertebrate community, as a function of litter quantity and quality in a specific habitat. The objective of this work was to characterize the distribution of edaphic fauna in different monocultures. The study was carried out at Chapada Grande farm in Regeneração, PI. Four monoculture areas were chosen: no-tillage soybean, eucalyptus, pasture, and a preserved native cerrado forest. Soil fauna was collected in a dry and wet period by pitfall traps containing 4% formaldehyde. The edaphic fauna was evaluated by the number of individuals per trap per day, average richness and richness, Shannon diversity index and Pielou uniformity index. Data were submitted to analysis of variance and multivariate Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The highest number of individuals per day trap and of average richness were registered in the pasture, eucalyptus and forest areas in both periods, while soybean showed lower values with predominance of Coleoptera and Formicidae groups. The pasture and forest areas showed of higher Shannon index values in the two evaluated seasons, probably due to higher contributions organic residues in the soil that favors the shelter, feeding and reproduction conditions. Regarding the Pielou index, the soybean system showed higher values in this variable. The Aranae, Coleoptera, Formicidae and Diptera groups predominated in the humid period, while Coleoptera and Formicidae predominated in the dry period. Systems that generate greater accumulation of residues harbor a greater diversity of invertebrates of the edaphic fauna. Seasonality had an effect on all variables analyzed and the wet period showed more expressive values.
Highlights
Savanna soils in the state of Piauí have been gradually explored with annual crops, pastures, and, more recently, reforestation (Aguiar and Monteiro, 2005)
The highest number of individuals per day trap and average richness were recorded in areas with pasture, eucalyptus and native forest in both periods, while the soybean system showed lower values with predominance of the Coleoptera and Formicidae groups and other less common ones (Table 2). These results can indicate that the intensity and degree of interference of the management practices that each culture influences the presence and activity of the fauna of the soil, due to resource restrictions for these organisms (Santos et al, 2016; Baretta et al, 2014)
The use of the no-tillage system in soybean, which involves the maintenance of straw in the soil, has been practiced in an attempt to increase the organic matter content and to improve soil quality after harvesting the annual crop (Aita and Giacomini, 2003; Torres et al, 2015), which supposedly favored the presence of individuals of the edaphic fauna
Summary
Savanna soils in the state of Piauí have been gradually explored with annual crops, pastures, and, more recently, reforestation (Aguiar and Monteiro, 2005). The implementation of crops made through the no‐tillage system as in the case of soybean, has as main characteristic the minimum preparation of the soil, with maintenance of a constant covering of straw on the surface in milder climates, despite the low C / N ratio of the crop. This creates conditions favorable to the survival of soil organisms gradually as the benefits in terms of improvement of the soil environment by the presence of straw are becoming present (Bartz et al, 2013; Kladivko, 2001). Marandu has been efficient in the accumulation of organic residues in the soil, due to its abundant root system that presents continuous renewal and high rhizospheric effect, which, maintained at the surface favors the biota activity of the soil, by supplying edible organisms (Rossi et al, 2013)
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