Abstract
ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to evaluate the degree of multifractality of the spatial distribution of altitude, organic carbon concentration, and invertebrate fauna diversity, and to characterize the degree of joint multifractal association among these variables. Soil sampling was performed every 20 m across a 2,540 m transect, with a total of 128 sampling points in a sugarcane area in Goiana municipality, Pernambuco State. For each sampling point, the altitude, organic carbon concentration, and macrofauna diversity (diversity indices and functional groups) were evaluated. Spatial distributions of altitude, organic carbon concentration, and macrofauna diversity were characterized by the generalized dimension spectrum (Dq) and singularity spectrums [f(α) versus α], which presented multifractal behavior with different degrees of heterogeneity in scales. Joint multifractal analysis was useful for revealing the relationships at multiple scales between the studied variables, as demonstrated by the non-detected associations using traditional statistical methods. To quantify the spatial variability of edaphic fauna based on the multiple scales and association sets in the joint dimension, the impact of agricultural production systems on biological diversity can be described. All of the studied variables displayed a multifractal behavior with greater or lower heterogeneity degree depending on the variable, with altitude and organic carbon being the most homogeneous attributes.
Highlights
The invertebrate fauna is responsible for several dynamic processes within the soil ecosystem (Wagg et al, 2014) and organic matter decomposition (Catterall et al, 2001; Gholami et al, 2016)
Multifractal analysis focuses on evaluating the distribution of one variable along a geometric support while joint multifractal analysis refers to the joint distribution of two or more variables on a common support or temporal space (Zeleke & Si, 2006; Banerjee et al, 2011; Biswas et al, 2012)
The spatial distribution of social insects is related to individuals per trap per day, organic carbon (OC), and altitude (Figures 1A, B, and C), which corroborates the findings of Catterall et al (2001), Wang et al (2009), Begum et al (2010), and Wagg et al (2014)
Summary
The invertebrate fauna is responsible for several dynamic processes within the soil ecosystem (Wagg et al, 2014) and organic matter decomposition (Catterall et al, 2001; Gholami et al, 2016). It is necessary to understand the factors that act on soil fauna along the landscape, which can be achieved using mathematical models that allow us to comprehend the variability at different scales. Among these mathematical models, multifractal analysis permits the study of the spatial variability of soil fauna based on different variability scales. Multifractal analysis allows the description of a system through a continuum spectrum of scale exponents (Evertsz & Mandelbrot, 1992). According to Banerjee et al (2011) and Leiva et al (2019), multifractal analysis presents several relevant information regarding system heterogeneity. Multifractal analysis focuses on evaluating the distribution of one variable along a geometric support while joint multifractal analysis refers to the joint distribution of two or more variables on a common support or temporal space (Zeleke & Si, 2006; Banerjee et al, 2011; Biswas et al, 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
