Numbers Of Macrofauna Research Articles

The relation of macrofauna and soil organic carbon in Sacha Inchi cropping patterns

Abstract Soil macrofauna plays an important role in the soil ecosystem. Through various biological activities, macrofauna provides various ecosystem services such as the provision and regulation of nutrients and carbon through litter decomposition, increasing water holding capacity, and improving soil structure. The diversity of soil macrofauna is strongly influenced by the litter produced. The more diverse types of plants, the more diverse macrofauna will be found. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between macrofauna and soil organic carbon in various cropping patterns of sacha inchi in Sragen, Central Java. The research was conducted on teak-sacha inchi, teak monoculture, mixed agroforestry, and sacha inchi monoculture. Based on the results, there were a total of 6 orders of macrofauna in four types of cropping patterns. The highest total number of individuals was found in the sacha inchi monoculture. The macrofauna diversity index was found the highest in teak-sacha inchi with a Shannon-Wiener index of 1.207, and the lowest in the sacha inchi monoculture with a Shannon-Wiener index of 0.76. Based on the correlation analysis, it is known that soil organic carbon content has a negative correlation with the number of macrofauna and a positive correlation with macrofauna diversity.

Macro Faunal Diversity in Date Palm Plantation Soils of Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria

This research assessed the macro-faunal diversity in soil of date palm plantation of Modibbo Adama University, Yola, Adamawa State. Parameters evaluated included; assemblage and diversity of soil macro invertebrates based on growth performances of the date palm. The plantation was divided according to growth variabilities. Assessment of macro fauna species was carried out using plots of 20m × 20m which was randomly selected, using plots of 1m x 1m that where laid at each anger point,Top soil for biological assessment of soil samples, were collected using trowels at depths ranging from 0-30cm depth. The soil samples was immediately spread on board of about 60cm2 and sorted for the presence of macro fauna. Soil macro-invertebrates ‘identification and enumeration. Soil macro-invertebrate assemblage was analyzed for diversity indices of species using relevant formulae. Results showed a total of 648 macro fauna scattered within the study area. Seventeen (17) Families of macro fauna were also identified in the study. Lumbricus terrestris (earthworm), the Heterotermes species (termites) and those belonging to the Formicidae family (ants) were the groups having the highest number of individuals. Leading to the conclusion that soil Macro fauna were present in the study area. However, the numbers of macro fauna were very active in the date palm plantation soil. This is an indication that strong relationship exists between macro fauna-invertebrates the date palm trees.

Spatial analysis of biodiversity soil macrofauna in Populus deltoides plantation of northern forests of Iran

Information about the spatial patterns of soil biodiversity and understanding the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem processes are limited. This study was conducted to determine whether biodiversity of soil macrofauna features demonstrate spatial patterns in the Populus deltoides plantation in north of Iran. 150 soil samples were taken using a grid sample of 40 × 40 m. Soil macrofaunawere sampled by digging and hand sorting two 50 × 50 cm areas into a depth of 20 cm in each treatment.Abundance (the number of macrofauna) diversity (Shannon-Weiner index), richness (Menhinick index) and evenness (Smith–Wilson index) were calculated using geostatistics (variogram) in order to describe and quantify the spatial continuity. Some soil chemical and physical properties were determined. The variograms of variable revealed the presence of spatial autocorrelation. The range of influence was 710.9 m for abundance, 650.3 m for diversity, 720.90 m for richness and 410.9 m for evenness. The kriging maps indicated that the soil macrofauna have spatial variability. Moreover, the spatial pattern of macrofauna biomass is similar to the pattern of clay and pH of soil.

Impact of Different Land-Use Systems on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Macrofauna Abundance in the Humid Tropics of Cameroon

The impact of different land-use systems on some soil physicochemical properties and macrofauna abundance in the humid tropics of Cameroon was studied. The land-use types included secondary forest (SF), oil palm plantation (PP), banana plantation (BP), sugarcane plantation (SP), and rubber plantation (RP). Soil particle size distribution, bulk density (BD), pH, organic matter (OM), and number of macrofauna were evaluated. The results showed that OM and number of macrofauna were higher in the SF than in the other land-use types. Pearson’s correlation analysis carried out to determine the relationship between OM and BD showed that OM and BD was strongly negatively related with correlation coefficient of −0.9653. It also showed a strong significant negative correlation between BD and ants population (r = −0.8828) and between soil pH and number of earthworms (r = −0.9072). Based on the results, the SF produced more organic matter and higher number of macrofauna. However, the OM of the other land uses was not low; hence, it could be beneficial to return plant residues to the field for maintaining soil quality.

Inhibition of the decomposition ofZostera capricornii litter by macrobenthos and meiobenthos in a brackish coastal lake system

As part of the development of rapid assays to measure ecological processes, rates of decomposition of eelgrass,Zostera capricornii, were measured using litter bags placed at different distances from the sea in a coastal lake system. Average loss of dry mass over 28 d in bags with coarse mesh, which excluded animals >1.5 mm, varied from 364 to 448 mg in late winter to between 644 and 868 mg in autumn, depending on locality. Rates of loss were significantly greater in bags with small mesh (0.063 mm), from which all macrofauna were excluded, varying from 420 to 532 mg and from 868 to 924 mg in winter and autumn, respectively. There were consistent negative correlations between loss of litter and numbers of macrofauna and meiofauna in the bags. Rates of decrease in the organic fraction of the litter were positively correlated with numbers of animals. The results imply that the fauna inhibited decomposition, possibly by reducing microbial populations through grazing.

A comparison of two nitrification inhibitors used to measure nitrification rates in estuarine sediments

Nitrification rates were measured using intact sediment cores from South San Francisco Bay and two different nitrification inhibitors: acetylene and methyl fluoride. Sediment oxygen consumption and ammonium and nitrate fluxes were also measured in these cores. Four experiments were conducted in the spring, and one in the fall of 1993. There was no significant difference in nitrification rates measured using the two inhibitors, which suggests that methyl fluoride can be used as an effective inhibitor of nitrification. Nitrification was positively correlated with sediment oxygen consumption and numbers of macrofauna. This suggests that bioturbation by macrofauna is an important control of nitrification rates. Irrigation by the tube-dwelling polychaete, Asychis elongata, which dominates the benthic biomass at this location, appears particularly important. Ammonium fluxes out of the sediment were greatest about one week after the spring bloom, while nitrification peaked about one month later.

Interactions with the Benthos Alter Pelagic Food Web Structure in Coastal Waters

Results from studies in experimental enclosures containing both water column and benthic communities show that the benthos has an important effect on the structure and productivity of pelagic food webs whether the system is nutrient enriched or nutrient limited. Research over a 10-yr period in 13-m3 mesocosms showed that changes in the pelagic food web were correlated with different sediment communities and with the presence or absence of a benthos. The abundance of copepods was inversely correlated with numbers of macrofauna. At both low and high nutrient levels, systems without benthos had greatly enhanced numbers of carnivorous holozooplankton including ctenophores, medusans, chaetognaths, and fish. Our observations indicate that the presence of the benthos shortens the pelagic food web.and inhibits the response of pelagic fauna to nutrient enrichment in well-mixed coastal waters. The strength of benthic–pelagic coupling, which is controlled by the amount of turbulence in the water column, may be more important to food web structure than the rate of nutrient supply and could determine which subsystem responds to eutrophication.

Salt-Marsh Benthic Invertebrates: Small-Scale Patterns of Distribution and Abundance

Monitoring of small-scale distribution patterns of benthic invertebrates has demonstrated distinct trends in faunal abundances with position relative to individual culms of saltmarsh cordgrass,Spartina alterniflora, at Tar Landing Bay Marsh, near Morehead City, North Carolina. Samples containing culms ofSpartina yielded significantly higher abundances (at least three times) than did samples without them. Among common species, onlyNereis succinea did not show this effect. Matrix-arranged and randomly placed sets of samples have confirmed a positive relationship between cross-sectional area of culms in a sample (at the sediment-water interface) and contained numbers of macrofauna, juvenile macrofauna and meiofauna. These patterns occurred despite a decreased volume of sediment in samples containing culms. Heightened abundances of benthic invertebrates associated with structural elements at the sediment-water interface may result from either nonrandom recruitment (either active via recruit selectivity or passive through hydrogeographic effects of culms) or differential post-recruitment mortality (resulting from inhibition of epibenthic predators or from variable habitat quality).