Edaphic Macrofauna Research Articles

Carbon in soil macroaggregates under coffee agroforestry systems: Modeling the effect of edaphic fauna and residue input

Crop diversification tends to favor the soil fauna community, soil aggregation, and consequently soil organic carbon (SOC) stock. Understanding the association between these attributes can help in understanding the dynamics of physical protection of soil organic matter. In this context, our study aimed to answer: (1) how does the edaphic macrofauna community and soil carbon and aggregate classes respond to two types of coffee agroforestry systems (coffee with Grevillea robusta and coffee with banana) and how these responses differ from native ecosystem; (2) how and to what extent are soil aggregation regulated by the complex structural interactions of plant residue input, SOC, and the soil faunal community? The work was conducted in the municipality of Planalto, state of Bahia, Brazil. Three systems were evaluated: agroforestry system of Coffee arabica L. with Grevillea robusta (CG); agroforestry system of Coffee arabica with Musa spp. (CB); and native forest (NF). Four plots were delimited in each system, in which dry fractionation of the soil was performed to obtain aggregates of classes >6, 6–4, 4–2 and < 2 mm. The macrofauna was sampled using the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Program method. The labile and total carbon of the soil and aggregates were determined and the carbon management indices were calculated. The CG and CB presented a greater amount of larger size aggregates (> 6, 6–4 and 4–2 mm) than the NF. The CB system provided more favorable conditions for the soil macrofauna. Despite this, both coffee agroforestry systems favored the occurrence of Oligochaeta. The CG was more favorable to maintain labile fractions of organic matter than the CB. The edaphic fauna show a close relationship with the formation of carbon aggregates and stabilization which was directly influenced by continuous input of plant residues in diverse coffee growing systems.

Diversity of functional edaphic macrofauna in Musa acuminata x Musa balbisiana (AAB) agroecosystems

Background This study focused on evaluating the diversity and richness of the edaphic macrofauna in eight banana farms in the western zone of Nicaragua. Methods The sampling design was random and descriptive, it was divided into two phases, the first was the collection of the sample, and the second was the classification, coding, and storage of the extracted macrofauna populations. The sampling method employed included the extraction of soil and litter samples. Soil samples were collected using a wooden frame (monolith), with each sample weighing approximately 1 kilogram and taken from a depth of 0.20 cm. Litter samples were collected from the soil surface. A total of 80 samples were collected, with 40 soil samples and 50 litter samples obtained across the 8 plantain farms. Results The results showed that the relative abundance of biodiversity was higher in the 0–20 cm soil depth stratum than in the branch and leaf biomass strata. The values of the diversity indices of Simpson's Dominance, Shanon, Margalef, and Equity were in the normal range, with a tendency towards low diversity. Likewise, in the richness of species, the Dominance or most abundant genus were earthworms (Oligochaeta) and Hymenoptera (Solenopsis, Leptothorax, Camponotus, Pheidole), indicating the directly proportional relationship, that is to say, that the greater the number of earthworms the production increases and the greater the number of Hymenoptera it decreases, confirmed with the Pearson correlation coefficient with a reliability of 95%. Conclusions It was concluded that based on the estimates of the diversity indicators, two detritivore genus (earthworms and Hymenoptera) were the ones with the more dominance, being important in the production of the banana agrosystem due to the decomposition of organic matter and its nutritional contribution to the plant. We observed a direct correlation with earthworms and an indirect relationship with Hymenoptera.

Edaphic macrofauna in the establishment of an agroforestry system in the High Andean region of Southern Colombia

Biological degradation of the soil due to inadequate agricultural practices that eliminate vegetative cover and, therefore, organic matter, reduces the biological communities that perform important ecological functions in the soil. The objective of the study was to evaluate some biological properties of the soil in an agroforestry system with Morella pubescens intercropped with Smallanthus sonchifolius and in a degraded pasture of Cenchrus clandestinum. The trial was conducted at the Botana Experimental Farm, Nariño, at 2,820 meters above sea level. Density, richness and Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices were determined. A Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications was used. The treatments corresponded to sowing distances of S. sonchifolius. T1: sown at 1x1m, T2: 0.8x0.8m, T3: 0.5x0.5m and the control T4 corresponded to degraded pasture of C. clandestinum. The tree component M. pubescens was established at 4x4m between seedlings and 9m between rows. Soil macrofauna sampling was carried out following the monolithic TSBF method, collecting at depths of (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30cm). A total density of 6,496i/m2 individuals was found. The highest value was obtained in T3 (3,168i/m2) represented by the taxonomic groups Diptera and Haplotaxida. Higher values of richness were observed in T1. The Shannon index was higher in T2 (0.66) while T1 (0.80) presented higher dominance in morphospecies. Density and richness were higher in the agroforestry arrangement than in the degraded Cenchrus clandestinum pasture. Treatments, depth and their interaction did not significantly affect morphospecies diversity.

Edaphic Macrofauna in Areas Cultivated with Irrigated Brassica Under No-Tillage System

Objective: Quantify and qualify the soil macrofauna present in areas cultivated with brassicas under the No-till system vegetable (NTSV) in different phases. Method/design/approach: The study was conducted in three different areas: 1-NTSV with one year (NTSV1), 2-NTSV with three years (NTSV3), 3-Native Forest (In natural regeneration for 20 years (NF20)); At depths: 0-10; 10-20 and 20-30 cm, with 5 repetitions. Litter was collected in an area of 0.50x0.50 cm and soil samples were collected with an iron square measuring 25x25x30 cm in each plot, where the number of individuals (ind m-2) was quantified and the total richness and diversity and equitability indexes of the macrofauna were qualified. Result and conclusion: The management in areas NTSV1, NTSV3 and NF20 favored the development of the population of the Formicidae and Isoptera groups; The NTSV3 area at a depth of 20 to 30 cm provided the best conditions for the highest relative frequency of the Oligochaeta group. Research implications: The assessment of vertical distribution favored a broader knowledge of the macrofauna community in the systems; The adoption time of the one- or three-cycle no-tillage system did not affect the density and diversity of macrofauna. Originality/value: Most studies soil macrofauna have been carried out in areas under conventional or no-tillage of grains or in forests, few studies are carried out in areas with irrigated vegetables, where processes involving organic matter reach be three times faster, where the diversity of this macrofauna is higher and needs to be evaluated.

Diversity of functional edaphic macrofauna in Musa acuminata x Musa balbisiana (AAB) agroecosystems

Background: This study focused on evaluating the diversity and richness of the edaphic macrofauna in eight banana farms in the western zone of Nicaragua. Methods: The sampling design was random and descriptive, it was divided into two phases, the first was the collection of the sample, and the second was the classification, coding, and storage of the extracted macrofauna populations. Subsequently, the indices of diversity and species richness, relative abundance, by functional groups were estimated. Results: The results showed that the relative abundance of biodiversity was higher in the 0–20 cm soil depth stratum than in the branch and leaf biomass strata. The values ​​of the diversity indices of Dominion, Simpson, Shanon, Margalef, and Equity were in the normal range, with a tendency towards low diversity. Likewise, in the richness of species, the Dominant or most abundant genus were earthworms (Oligochaeta) and Hymenoptera (Solenopsis, Leptothorax, Camponotus, Pheidole), indicating the directly proportional relationship, that is to say, that the greater the number of earthworms the production increases and the greater the number of Hymenoptera it decreases, confirmed with the Pearson correlation coefficient with a reliability of 95%. Conclusions: It was concluded that based on the estimates of the diversity indicators, two detritivore genus (earthworms and Hymenoptera) were the ones with the greatest presence, being important in the production of the banana agrosystem due to the decomposition of organic matter and its nutritional contribution to the plant. We observed a direct correlation with earthworms and an indirect relationship with Hymenoptera.

Responses of soil arthropods to fertilisation with ruminant manure in irrigated buffel grass production

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to characterise the edaphic macrofauna in soil cultivated with Cenchrus ciliaris L. under irrigation and fertilised with ruminant manure in a Brazilian semi-arid region. The experimental design was in split plots. The main plot was composed using tanned manure from 3 species of ruminants (goat, cattle and sheep), in addition to the control treatment (without manure). The subplots were composed of 3 production cycles of buffel grass. Collections of edaphic macrofauna were performed every 28 days. A total of 3453 arthropods were collected, distributed in 15 taxonomic groups representing 12 orders, 7 of which belong to the Insecta class; 3 from the Arachnid class; and 2 from the Diplopoda class. Ants (Formicidae) accounted for 86.76% of this abundance and were followed by representatives of the orders Araneae (4.26%), Polydesmida (3.61%) and Scarabaeidae (1.58%). Principal Components 1 and 2 explained 56% of the data variation. Bovine manure attracted a greater abundance of individuals, mainly ants. Goat manure showed the highest abundance (p < 0.0013) of the Scarabaeidae class, while sheep manure showed the highest abundance (p < 0.0110) of the Embioptera. The number of individuals varied between the beginning and end of each cycle.

Grassland management effect on ecosystem services in the livestock system in an oxisol from the Eastern high plains of Colombia

Colombia has a livestock population of approximately 28.2 million heads, of which 20.4% is found in the eastern high plains of the Orinoquia region. The extensive beef cattle system predominates, whose diet is based on native and introduced pastures of the genus Urochloa sp. which is deficiently managed, affecting productive and reproductive indexes due to the low adoption of technology. We evaluated potential sustainable intensive systems for cattle production, which contribute to maintaining the provision of environmental services. Between 2011 and 2015 in Agrosavia’s Research Center at Carimagua (4° 37'N and 71° 19' W) environmental and animal production variables were monitored in the following systems: a) degraded pastures recovered with tillage and fertilization, b) annual crop rotation with pastures, c) forest arrangements in strips, and d) forest remnants in perimeter areas. Productive and reproductive variables were determined in animals such as weight gain, calving interval, among others while the pasture/crop productive variables included yield and forage quality. Regarding soil ecosystem services (ES) the macrofauna biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles, soil physical and chemical variables were considered. Estimation of indicators was carried out through principal components analysis for soil physical, chemical and macrofauna variables to extract the two main components that explain the variance. For climate regulation of ES, measurement of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage at a depth of 20 cm and the annual accumulated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were included. The systems that involved lime amendments and fertilizers increased the value in the year of application. Values in the water regulation indicator did not show significant differences among the options implemented during the years. Edaphic macrofauna biodiversity indicator value was sensitive to changes in management practices, with termites being the group with highest abundance. The indicator related to SOC was higher in the forest area compared to the pasture-crop system. Systems under the agroforestry schemes which integrated various practices such as managed and recovered pastures, crop-pasture rotation, patched areas and tree strips contributed to maintain or improve the ES, although each one of the strategies proposed provided improvement in at leas one ES.

Influence of vegetation cover on the quantity of edaphic macrofauna and on the general levels of fertility in a Cerrado soil

This work presents a survey of the macrofauna and the chemical fertility of the soil in two sample areas in the same valley; it verifies if the type of vegetation cover positively impacts on the greater diversity and quantity of edaphic macrofauna; as a consequence of the increase in macrofauna, it verifies if there is a correlation between the macrofauna population and soil fertility. The comparison is made between two areas: area 01, occupied with Brachiaria brizantha integrated with native cerrado trees and area 02 occupied only with Brachiaria brizantha.

Edaphic and epigeic macrofauna responses to land use change in Brazil

The expansion of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) over extensive pasture areas has been one of the primary land-use change (LUC) scenarios in central-southern Brazil. However, LUC could negatively affect soil fauna along with the multiple functions and services associated with these organisms. Numerous groups of macroinvertebrates inhabiting the soil surface (i.e., epigeic) or the soil profile (i.e., edaphic) are fundamental for litter fragmentation, soil structuring and stabilization, water infiltration, biogeochemical cycling. In this study, both the edaphic and epigeic macrofauna communities were surveyed simultaneously to assess responses induced by the expansion of sugarcane cultivation over extensive pastures and to investigate whether the magnitude of such responses to LUC differs according to the community niche (i.e., soil profile versus surface). We hypothesized that LUC to a semi-perennial crop such as sugarcane would increase the density and diversity of the edaphic macrofauna, while the epigeic community would be negatively affected by LUC due to drastic changes in surface litter. The studied areas were two sites varying in soil texture (i.e., clay versus sandy soils) each including the following land uses: i) native vegetation, ii) extensive pasture, iii) newly planted sugarcane crop (sugarcane); and iv) established sugarcane (sugarcane ratoon). To evaluate edaphic macrofauna the TSBF methodology was adopted, while pitfall traps were installed at the same sampling points to collected epigeic macrofauna. The evaluated community attributes were density, Shannon diversity index, evenness index, richness of soil macrofauna taxa, as well as the chemical and physical attributes of the soil. Linear mixed effects analysis showed that LUC affected the relative abundance of edaphic (Land use p = 0.1191 r2marginal = 0.28, r2conditional = 0.33) and epigeic (Land use p = 0.0176; r2marginal = 0.22, r2conditional = 0.32) macroinvertebrates. Both groups showed the greatest density of organisms under native vegetation. Coleoptera and earthworms were associated with pasture areas, especially in clayey soil. Response ratios of LUC effects on macrofauna showed stronger responses of the epigeic compared to edaphic macrofauna, indicating a greater sensitivity of surface-dwelling organisms and their functions to disturbances such as those caused by LUC. In general, the density and diversity of macrofauna exhibited a positive correlation with soil organic matter, microbial carbon and nitrogen, macroporosity, and total porosity, and a negative correlation with soil density (p < 0.05). Also, the conversion of pasture to sugarcane cultivation (planting) causes significant macrofauna losses, particularly, in the clay soil. The cultivation of ratoon sugarcane led to a reduction of the density, taxonomic richness, diversity, and evenness of macrofauna. Given the importance of epigeic macroinvertebrates for litter fragmentation and decomposition, these results may indicate a rapid loss of key soil functions related to decomposition and carbon and nutrient cycling following LUC.

Diversity of functional edaphic macrofauna in Musa acuminata x Musa balbisiana (AAB) agroecosystems

Background: This study focused on evaluating the diversity and richness of the edaphic macrofauna in eight banana farms in the western zone of Nicaragua. Methods: The sampling design was random and descriptive, it was divided into two phases, the first was the collection of the sample, and the second was the classification, coding, and storage of the extracted macrofauna populations. Subsequently, the indices of diversity and species richness, relative abundance, by functional groups were estimated. Results: The results showed that the relative abundance of biodiversity was higher in the 0–20 cm soil depth stratum than in the branch and leaf biomass strata. The values ​​of the diversity indices of Dominion, Simpson, Shanon, Margalef, and Equity were in the normal range, with a tendency towards low diversity. Likewise, in the richness of species, the Dominant or most abundant genus were earthworms (Oligochaeta) and Hymenoptera (Solenopsis, Leptothorax, Camponotus, Pheidole), indicating the directly proportional relationship, that is to say, that the greater the number of earthworms the production increases and the greater the number of Hymenoptera it decreases, confirmed with the Pearson correlation coefficient with a reliability of 95%. Conclusions: It was concluded that based on the estimates of the diversity indicators, two detritivore genus (earthworms and Hymenoptera) were the ones with the greatest presence, being important in the production of the banana agrosystem due to the decomposition of organic matter and its nutritional contribution to the plant. We observed a direct correlation with earthworms and an indirect relationship with Hymenoptera.

Diversity and function of soil macrofauna: key information for studying the sustainability of tropical social-ecological systems

The biological diversity is a natural inherent element of social-ecological systems. Within the great species diversity there is a group of small invertebrates (2–20 mm), inhabiting terrestrial soils and aquatic sediments, known as macrofauna. Contrary to its name indicates, the macrofauna is generally overlooked, poorly represented in biological inventories or management programs, and not contemplated in any political agenda, but they consist of high number and many groups of species with a high diversity in shapes and functions. Knowing this diversity and their functions in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats is fundamental to understand its role within the social-ecological systems, by giving key information that would advance our comprehension on the role of macrofauna in the quality of environmental services provided by ecosystems. Furthermore, this understanding is crucial due to the fact that the macrofauna is threatened by anthropogenic activities, which could lead to local modifications in the processes that take place in the soil. Therefore, the purpose of this work is, in general, to make known to the reader the main species groups that integrate the macrofauna, the equivalent functional role that these organisms play in the terrestrial and aquatic habitats where they occur, as well as their importance in studies of sustainability in tropical social-ecological systems. Keywords: Biodiversity, benthic macrofauna, edaphic macrofauna, functional traits, ecosystems.

Effect of Maize Conservation Crops Associated with Two Vegetal Covers on the Edaphic Macrofauna in a Well-Drained Savanna of Venezuela

Conventional agricultural in the Venezuelan Llanos has generated gradual soil degradation. Therefore, conservationist agriculture has been proposed. According to several works, this type of management favors soil macrofauna. To test this hypothesis, the response of soil macrofauna to the establishment of conservationist maize crops, associated with Brachiaria dictyoneura (Bd) and Centrosema macrocarpum (Cm), was evaluated. The samples of soil and soil macrofauna were taken per vegetation cover at different climatic season over 2 years and 10 months. For this period and under the conditions studied, the results partially refute the hypothesis; on the one hand, they showed that the soil macrofauna of a natural savanna (NS) is the most diverse and equitable (N1 = 4.5 ± 2.8), followed by the cultivation of maize associated with Cm (N1 = 3.2 ± 1.9) and the least diverse with Bd (N1 = 2.6 ± 2.1). Additionally, some taxonomic groups apparently did not tolerate soil intervention, while Termitidae was favored. On the other hand, the temporal variation of the soil macrofauna did not differ between vegetation covers (F: 1.18; p = 0.37). This variation could be due to the decrease in TP (r = −0.55) and increased BD (r = 0.56).

Influence of different Eucalyptus hybrids on soil macrofauna.

The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of different eucalyptus hybrids on the edaphic macrofauna community. It is hypothesized that the density and diversity of edaphic fauna are influenced by the quantity and quality of the litter deposited by the different hybrids on the soil surface. The study area is in the city of Vitória da Conquista (BA) and consists of seven eucalyptus hybrids, one from sexual reproduction (seminal) and six from asexual (clonal) reproduction. Sampling of the soil macrofauna was performed by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility method. All visible invertebrates were collected and identified at the level of large taxonomic groups. The relative density, group richness, and diversity index were calculated. Hybrids did not influence the total density and richness of the soil macrofauna. However, it was possible to observe changes in litter accumulation and composition, and as a result in the diversity indexes and in the presence or absence of macrofauna groups. Among the studied hybrids, those from Eucalyptus urophylla (seminal, 1335 and 1249) promote greater macrofauna diversity and favor the occurrence of detritivores organisms, suggesting the occurrence of better quality and more palatable litter for the edaphic fauna.

Macrofauna edáfica y propiedades físico-químicas del suelo, en fincas cafetaleras de pequeños agricultores

Edaphic macrofauna is a biological soil indicator that is rarely applied in the identification of soil quality in coffee farms. The objective was to evaluate edaphic macrofauna and soil physico-chemical properties in four coffee farms at different altitudes. The farms were selected in four hamlets of small-scale coffee farmers. In one-hectare plantations, three monoliths of 25 × 25 cm wide by 30 cm depth were sampled. Soil samples were taken from each plot, then the organic matter (OM) content, hydrogen potential (pH), electrical conductivity (EC) and nitrogen (N) content were determined. There were no differences in macrofaunal diversity for the altitudes studied, but there were differences according to the time of year (rainfall and low water). The maximum Shannon index was 2.2 (rainy season) and 1.1 (dry season). Physico-chemical parameters such as soil pH ranged from 7.8 - 8.15 in the lower altitude farms and for the higher altitude farms it was 6.38 - 6.65. Soil pH was highly negatively correlated with altitude. Nitrogen was positively correlated with organic matter. Faunal diversity is negatively correlated with season and the presence of microorganisms is influenced by the physico-chemical characteristics of the soil.

EFEITO DE USOS E MANEJOS AGRÍCOLAS DO SOLO NO SEMIÁRIDO PIAUIENSE NA MACROFAUNA E CARBONO ORGÂNICO DO SOLO

Currently, the production and commercialization of family foods has affected the quality of the soil. In the northeastern semiarid, this type of agricultural exploration has been even more intense. In this context, it is of fundamental importance to know the impact of these types of uses and managements on soil quality. The work had as objectives to evaluate the effect of the different uses and agricultural managements on the macrofauna and organic carbon of the soil, in the semi-arid region of Piaui and to select the indicators that better respond to the impacts of the uses and agricultural managements. The studied areas were: area under preserved native vegetation; area under corn cultivation; area under cultivation of mombaca grass and area under cultivation of cassava. Epigeal and edaphic macrofauna were sampled. For this purpose, PROVID-type traps were installed and soil monoliths were removed in the layers of 0.00-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m. In addition, soil samples were collected in the 0.00-0.05 and 0.05-0.10 m layers to assess the organic carbon content of the soil. The hymenoptera and coleoptera groups were the ones that showed the highest frequency among the systems. The preserved native vegetation presented the best values of abundance, richness, diversity and equitability. The system that came closest to native vegetation was the mombaca grass cultivation area. The areas of maize and cassava have moved away from ideal conditions (preserved native vegetation). The variables Abundance, Wealth, Shannon index, Araneae, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Diplopoda, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera and Pseudoescorpionida, for the epigeal fauna and Abundance, Wealth, Araneae, Hymenoptera, Blattodea, for the edaphic macrofauna, as well as the COS more sensitive to the influence of the management used, and can be used to monitor the impacts of this management on soil quality.

Edaphic macrofauna associated with the cultivation of maize (Zea maiz)

Edaphic macrofauna associated with the cultivation of maize (<i>Zea maiz</i>)

Macrofauna edáfica asociada al cultivo de maíz (Zea maíz)

Macrofauna is a biological indicator of soils, in this sense, the objective of this research was to determine the edaphic macrofauna community and its physicochemical properties of the soil, by means of its abundance and richness of groups during the growing season and post-harvest of corn. Three monoliths 25 x 25 cm wide by 30 cm deep were established. Soil samples were taken in each plot, then the organic matter (OM) content, hydrogen potential (pH), electrical conductivity (EC) and nitrogen (N) content were determined. The results show differences between atmos-pheric temperatures during the development period (25 °C) and the post-harvest period (41.4 °C). Physicochemical parameters such as pH ranged between 8.5 and 8.3. The maximum Shannon index was 0.48 (growing season) and 0.13 (post-harvest season). The greatest number of individuals was ants (111) and was identified during the postharvest period. In this sense, the biological diversity was lower in the growing season of corn, and during the post-harvest period a greater number of ant organisms was determined, which was associated with the resistance to high temperatures.

Sustentabilidad ambiental de las concesiones forestales en el departamento Huánuco, Perú

El aprovechamiento sustentable de los recursos forestales consiste en utilizarlos para generar riqueza, mejorando indicadores sociales y evitando el desequilibrio ambiental. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la sustentabilidad ambiental de las concesiones forestales en el departamento Huánuco, Perú, mediante el análisis multicriterio basado en el uso de indicadores. Se construyeron indicadores que incluyen la diversidad de macrofauna edáfica evaluada hasta 30 cm de profundidad, como evidencia del estado de conservación y mantenimiento del suelo. Los indicadores fueron estandarizados mediante escala de 0 a 4.0, siendo 4.0 el mayor valor de sustentabilidad; posteriormente, fueron ponderados multiplicando la escala por un coeficiente, según su importancia respecto a la sustentabilidad. Una concesión forestal es ambientalmente sustentable, si el índice de sustentabilidad ambiental (ISA) es ≥ 2.0. La encuesta elaborada se aplicó a titulares y trabajadores de las concesiones forestales. Para conocer si el ISA en 60% de concesiones forestales supera el valor 2.0, se empleó la prueba estadística no paramétrica chi cuadrada; también se realizó entre indicadores, la correlación de Pearson con un 95% de confiabilidad. La prueba chi cuadrada confirma que las concesiones forestales con aprovechamiento forestal manual (60% del total), son ambientalmente sustentables (X2 = 0.056, p-valor = 0.814). Se registró fuerte correlación positiva estadísticamente significativa (r = 0.970, p-valor &lt; 0.05) entre los indicadores “conservación y mantenimiento del recurso suelo” y “conservación de flora silvestre”. El aprovechamiento forestal manual mantiene armonía con el entorno natural, y aunque el aprovechamiento forestal mecanizado sea de impacto reducido, genera daños al ecosistema.

Richness and Diversity of the Edaphic Macrofauna in a Brazilian Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of seasonality on the diversity and richness of the edaphic macrofauna during the dry and rainy periods, in an area of Caatinga in the Brazilian semiarid region. Samples were collected in a sample grid, totaling 10 points, spaced 30 meters apart, in rainy and dry seasons. For quantitative assessment of macrofauna, the total number of organisms (species abundance) was measured, according to diversity. The diversity of the soil macrofauna for this research corresponds to the following order: Hymenoptera&gt; Diptera&gt; Aranaea&gt; Orthoptera&gt; Coleoptera, for the rainy and dry periods, with a greater predominance of the order Hymenoptera. The influence of seasonality was observed in relation to the richness and diversity of the region's macrofauna, with marked fluctuations between the rainy and dry periods.

Macrofauna edáfica em cultivo orgânico de cana-de-açúcar no norte do estado do Paraná, Brasil

Os organismos do solo desempenham papel predominante na formação e manutenção da estrutura do solo, e suas atividades afetam os processos físicos, químicos e biológicos do ecossistema edáfico. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um levantamento da macrofauna edáfica em um sistema de cultivo orgânico de cana-de-açúcar. Foram realizadas amostragens de solo no verão e inverno, nos anos de 2014 e 2015utilizando-se monólito para a coleta, e separando o solo em três camadas nas profundidades de 0-10, 10-20 e 20-30 cm. Em laboratório as amostras foram triadas e os invertebrados separados em Filos, contados e identificados. Os valores de abundância foram submetidos ao teste de médias Fisher LSD (p&lt; 0,05) e feita também a Análise de Componentes Principais (ACP). Foram encontrados 5.760 indivíduos m-², concentrados na camada de 0-10 cm da superfície do solo, e no verão de 2014 ocorreu a maior diversidade populacional da macrofauna edáfica. Predominaram os grupos Formicidae, Chilopoda, Isopoda e Oligochaeta e, neste último, a espécie peregrina Pontoscolex corethrurus, cuja ocorrência sugere perturbações antrópicas.