Land use intensification effects in soil arthropod community of an entisol in Pernambuco State, Brazil.

G. M. Siqueira,J. Paz-Ferreiro,E. F. F. Silva

doi:10.1155/2014/625856

Abstract

The interactions between soil invertebrates and land use and management are fundamental for soil quality assessment but remain largely unaddressed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in soil arthropod community of an entisol brought about by different land use systems under semiarid climate in Pernambuco State, Brazil. The soil invertebrate community was sampled using pitfall traps from areas with eight vegetation types by the end of the austral winter. The land uses studied were native thorn forest plus seven agricultural fields planted with elephant grass, apple guava, passion fruit, carrot, maize, tomato, and green pepper. Native vegetation was considered as a reference, whereas the agricultural fields showed a range of soil use intensities. The abundance of organisms, the total and average richness, Shannon's diversity index, and the Pielou uniformity index were determined, and all of these were affected by several crop and soil management practices such as residue cover, weed control, and pesticide application. Our study found differences in community assemblages and composition under different land use systems, but no single taxa could be used as indicator of soil use intensity.

Highlights

Soil fauna include a large number of species that play a central role in many essential ecosystem processes [1, 2]
The highest abundance of arthropods under apple guava and the relatively high abundance under passion fruit and green pepper was due to the effect of weed population, which dramatically increased the presence of specialized herbivores, as before mentioned
Under agricultural land use several variables related with soil and crop management influence the highly variable density of arthropods

Summary

Introduction

Soil fauna include a large number of species that play a central role in many essential ecosystem processes [1, 2]. The intensity of the modifications induced by land use changes compared with the original ecosystem and the ability of the various soil organisms to adapt to these changes will determine the ultimate community present after the perturbation [3]. Agricultural practices can have a dramatic effect upon soil invertebrate community. Practices generally considered as beneficial for the soil fauna include the management of organic matter, the control of the quality or quantity of plant residues and the absence of soil tillage. Fertilization, and liming may play an important role in increasing the diversity of soil biota

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Conclusion