Macrofauna Samples Research Articles

Biomathematical Integration of the Functional Coexistence Between Macrofauna and Microorganisms in Nicaraguan Agroecosystems: Tau Index (τ)

Agroecology as a science and Biomathematics provide elements that support precision in agroecological designs. The present study was conducted in 10 agroecosystems in Nicaragua located in five departments (Chinandega, Carazo, Matagalpa, Estelí and Boaco). These sites present diversified systems with crops (corn, rice, beans, coffee), forest and cattle. 250 samples of microorganisms and 250 samples of macrofauna were collected and taken to the Laboratories of the National Agrarian University of Nicaragua. The results obtained describe an abundance of 2084 and a richness of 123 families in macrofauna in interaction with 19 genera of microorganisms. The design of 3D pyramidal graphs represented the functional biological interaction on the x, y, z axes between macrofauna families and genera of microorganisms. The design of the Tau index (τ) equation and the obtained values allow us to elucidate the coexistence between organisms. The 20 most significant macrofauna families with their respective positive Tau indices were: Lumbricidae (3.864), Rhinotermitidae (2.486), Acanthodrilidae (0.706), Agelenidae (0.265), Styloniscidae (0.247), Armadillidae (0.208), Porcellionidae (0.19), Polydesmidae (0.178), Histeridae (0.173) and Mycetophilidae (0.168). The families with negative Tau index were: Formicidae (-1.953), Scarabaeidae (-1.438), Chrysomelidae (-0.173), Ixodidae (-0.166), Elateridae (-0.125), Noctuidae (-0.125), Gryllidae (-0.105), Tettigoniidae (-0.74), Culicidae (-0.71) and Cicadidae (-0.05). The genera of microorganisms were: Aspergillus sp., Aureobasidium sp., Bacillus sp., Candida sp., Fusarium sp., Gliocladium sp., Macrophomina sp., Mucor sp., Paecilomyces sp., Penicillium sp., Pseudomonas sp., Pythium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., Rhizopus sp., Sarcina sp., Streptomyces sp., Torula sp., Trichoderma sp. and Verticillium sp. The Lumbricidae family reached the highest interaction in the 3D graphs and the best values of the Tau index. The functional biological diversity of species is irreplaceable by synthetic means. Synergistic actions should be promoted to increase populations of macrofauna that guarantee the coexistence of beneficial microorganisms for the design of agroecosystems with precise biological interactions.

Spatial organisation of the soil macrofauna community of an oak forest in the steppe zone of Ukraine

Background. Environmental impact assessments and the development of measures for the protection and sustainable use of ecosystems should take into account that not only steppe ecosystems but also forest, marsh, salt marsh and meadow ecosystems are referenced for the steppe zone. A comparative approach requires the study of reference ecosystems to understand how much a particular ecosystem has been transformed or how far it is from natural patterns in the restoration process. The soil macrofaunal community of the forest ecosystem of the right bank of the Samara River can be considered a reference for many forest ecosystems in the region. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of spatial organization of the soil macrofaunal community of an oak forest on the right bank of the Samara River. Materials and Methods. A study was conducted in a deciduous woodland located in an oak forest on the right bank of the Samara River. The study area was divided into 5 transects, each consisting of 20 sampling points with a 2 m distance between rows. The samples of the soil macrofauna were taken from a single block of soil that was 25×25×30 cm deep and removed quickly. Vascular plant species lists were recorded for each 2×2 m subplot. The soil penetration resistance and electrical conductivity were measured. Soil faunal trophic activity was assessed by means of a bait lamina test. Results and Discussion. The spatial structure of the community is complex in terms of hierarchy. The driver of the broad-scale component of spatial variation in the community is the properties of the topsoil, mainly the density of the litter. Vegetation cover forms a broad component of the spatial variation in soil macrofauna. An important factor in structuring ecological space is the location of trees. The pure spatial pattern is represented by broad-, medium-, and fine-scale components. Conclusion. The soil macrofaunal community of an oak forest on the slope of the right bank of a steppe river has a high level of abundance and taxonomic and ecological diversity. The spatial distribution of trees forms a broad-scale component of variation in the soil macrofaunal community, and herbaceous cover forms a medium-scale component. The fine-scale component of community variation is due to neutral factors.

Bioindication potentials of the grass stand and soil macrofauna for assessing the level of anthropogenic transformation of an urban park are complementary

Changes in the environment induced by anthropogenic impact or natural stressors are subject to bioindication. Most often, the anthropogenic stressors are the main object of bioindication research. Hemeroby and naturalness are considered as indicators of the level of anthropogenic transformation of ecosystems. Hemeroby is frequently used to assess disturbances in different types of vegetation. However, this concept has rarely been used to assess the impact on animals. According to the method of indicator values, species richness of a community is a marker of bioindication potential. The article compares the patterns of response of species richness of soil macrofauna and herbaceous cover communities in a city park, taking into account gradients of environmental factors, naturalness, and hemeroby. Within the study area, test plots were located. Soil macrofauna samples were taken at 105 points in each of the test sites, and soil hardness, electrical conductivity and soil temperature, litter height, and grass cover height were also measured. A geobotanical description of the vegetation cover was made within each plot. In the survey plots, 7.6 ± 3.0 plant species were found in the herbaceous layer. In soil samples, 6.8 ± 2.9 species of macrofauna were found. With an increase in the number of plant species in the herbaceous layer, the number of soil macrofauna species showed a downward trend. An increase in the number of soil macrofauna species is accompanied by a decrease in both naturalness and hemeroby of the plant community. The naturalness index does not depend on the number of plant species, but the largest number of plant species was observed under conditions of naturalness level from 0 to 1. With an increase in hemeroby, the number of plant species increases, although this relationship also has a nonlinear component. The largest number of plant species is observed at hemeroby levels from 45 to 65. Environmental factors and indicators of hemeroby and naturalness were able to explain 27% of the variation in the number of soil macrofauna species. Humidity regime and continentality did not affect the number of species. Increased variability in moisture conditions, carbonate content, and indicators of frost and cryoclimate contributed to an increase in the number of invertebrate species. Increases in acidity, mineral salts, nitrates, and soil aeration had a negative impact on the number of soil macrofauna species. Soil properties were able to explain 21% of the variation in the number of soil macrofauna species. Environmental factors and indicators of hemeroby and naturalness were able to explain 72% of the variation in the number of herbaceous plant species. Increases in moisture, acidity, mineralization, thermocline, and cryoclimate indicators had a negative impact on the number of plant species. Biological indicators can be used to assess complex environmental factors that are difficult to measure using instrumental methods. Bioindicators are also used to assess the level of anthropogenic transformation of ecosystems. The key concepts for solving this problem are the naturalness and hemeroby of plant communities, which are used as markers of ecosystem disturbance in general. Vegetation cover as a source of bioindication information can provide a biased assessment of the level of anthropogenic transformation due to its greater sensitivity to certain types of anthropogenic pressure. The potential of soil animals as a source of information on the level of anthropogenic transformation in the urban environment is quite significant. Species richness is a marker of the potential ability of a plant or animal community to provide reliable bioindication information. The bioindication complementarity of animal and plant communities is that the highest species richness of soil macrofauna is observed at a relatively low level of species richness of plant communities. Therefore, soil macrofauna can complement and clarify estimates of the level of anthropogenic transformation made using plant communities or can be an independent source of information for such estimates.

Functional diversity of the macrofauna communities in arid mangroves of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman

Understanding the patterns and drivers of biodiversity in intertidal zones is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. The taxonomic and functional diversity of macrofaunal communities was studied in the arid mangrove system of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The study further aimed to investigate whether the main functional traits differ between habitats. All macrofauna samples and environmental variables were taken from two habitats including vegetated habitat and adjoining mudflats. A total of 85 taxa was found, of which 19 taxa were exclusive to vegetated habitats and 20 to mudflats. Mollusca were the most species-rich group in both habitats, followed by Arthropoda and Annelida. When comparing diversity indices among regions and habitats the Shannon-Wiener diversity index was significantly higher in vegetated habitats compared to mudflats. However, these trends were less consistent for the functional diversity measures being very much region-dependent. The results showed that functional trait structure was more uniform than the taxonomic structure across regions and habitats. The trait modalities biodiffuser, surface deposit-feeder, burrower, free-living, planktotrophic, 2–5 years, and 10–50 mm were common at both habitats. However, the modalities detritivore and grazer/scarper, and direct larval development were significantly higher in vegetated habitats than in mudflats. The vegetated habitats exhibited the more functionally redundant communities than mudflats, possibly due to higher taxonomic diversity observed in this habitat or the presence of the species with similar functions in the ecosystem. The combined investigation of species and functional diversity of mangrove macrofauna communities conducted in this research is essential for effective management and conservation efforts aimed at protecting mangrove ecosystems and to preserve the goods and services they provide.

Decadal changes of macrofauna community in a semi-enclosed Bay of Yueqing in East China Sea

To reveal the long-term variation of macrofauna community in Yueqing Bay, an aquacultural bay famous for its shellfish culturing in the East China Sea, macrofauna samples were collected in three period from 2002 to 2003 and 2006–2007 to 2020–2021. The results show that macrofaunal community structure in this area has changed significantly (ANOSIM, p < 0.01) in nearly two decades with significant decreases in species number, biodiversity index and average biomass. Meanwhile, the taxa composition also changed significantly as the dominance of annelid increased while that of mollusks, echinoderms and vertebrates decreased. As a consequence of the variation of taxa composition and total biomass, macrofauna community showed a tendency of miniaturization as individuals with smaller body size and lower biomass dominated the community. According to the results of CCA analysis, temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen content were the main environmental factors that restricted the species composition of macrofauna community. Further studies still needed to reveal the main reasons that cause the variation of macrofauna community. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the present status of Yueqing Bay benthic ecosystem is concerning from a macrobenthos perspective, as the biodiversity index and biomass of macrofauna decreased significantly. Effective measures should be taken in urgently to restrain the safety and function of coastal ecosystems.

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.

Earth Fauna in Different Environments in the Southern Amazon

Objective: To evaluate the soil fauna in Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) of restored and degraded watercourses, and in a preserved forest fragment, located in the municipality of Alta Floresta - MT. Theoretical framework: Forest restoration is extremely important for the reestablishment of ecosystem functions, especially in areas on the banks of water bodies. And the evaluation of this process can be carried out through soil fauna, which is considered a bioindicator of environmental quality. Methodology: The soil fauna was collected using pitfall soil traps (Provid model), installed in the three study environments along a linear transect of 70 meters, remaining in the field for 48 hours, with subsequent collection, cleaning and screening, followed by identification at order and/or family level. Soil sampling was also carried out at the points where meso- and macrofauna sampling was established, forming a composite sample from each study area. To analyze the results, the diversity, equitability, similarity and correlation indices were calculated using the PAST software. Results and conclusion: The restored APP was the one that most matched the preserved forest fragment when evaluating the environments' soil fauna, also presenting the highest levels of diversity and equitability. The soil fauna responded to the heterogeneity of the environments, since the degraded APP had less incidence of soil organisms. Implications of the research: Validates the use of soil fauna as an instrument to assess the environmental quality of environments that are in the process of ecological restoration. Originality/value: The research helps overcome the bottleneck in the effective ecological restoration of previously degraded areas, as soil fauna can be used as another parameter for evaluating the restoration process.

Macrobenthic fauna of the Agulhas Bank shelf edge

The deep sea (>200m depth) off South Africa is largely unexplored, with most benthic macrofauna samples limited to depths shallower than 100m. The benthic infaunal diversity of the Agulhas Bank shelf edge has not yet been studied. We analysed seven grab samples that were opportunistically collected along the shelf edge at depths of 290-533 m. A total of 136 macrofauna items representing 75 species were identified, and the first species list of the infauna of the shelf edge was compiled, Polychaetes comprised 48% of total abundance, and the sites had an average similarity of 7% based on species abundance, Spearman rank correlation showed that depth and sediment particle size are important environmental drivers of community abundance and biomass variation on the shelf edge, Habitat heterogeneity is likely high along the Agulhas Bank shelf edge, Greater sampling effort in habitats for which data are scarce provides crucial information for offshore biodiversity assessment and management

Trait-based assessment of polychaete assemblages distinguishes macrofaunal community structure among four distinct benthic eco-regions on a shallow arctic shelf

In a rapidly changing Arctic, effects of taxonomic and functional composition of infaunal benthic communities on ecosystem function are poorly characterized for many areas of the continental shelf environment. Infaunal macrobenthos perform essential ecosystem services in soft-sediment habitats, including sediment oxygenation, organic-matter burial, and nutrient regeneration. Changes in the distribution and composition of infauna are likely to impact these important processes. We investigated spatial patterns in macrofauna on the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Sea continental shelves in conjunction with a suite of environmental variables as part of the Arctic Shelf Growth, Advection, Respiration, and Deposition (ASGARD) project. Depth-stratified macrofauna samples (>500 μm) were collected from multi-cores in June 2017 and 2018. Abundance and biomass were recorded for broad taxonomic categories (phylum or class). Polychaetes were identified to family to capture well-described functional-trait information. Functional guilds were assigned to polychaete families, reflecting feeding mode, motility, and feeding structures. Macrofauna exhibited no significant spatial patterns when examined at higher taxonomic levels; however, analysis of polychaete families yielded three distinct station groups, and polychaete functional guilds yielded four distinct groups. These groups were aligned with variations in key habitat characteristics and suggest variation in ecosystem function across the study area. At sandy stations, tube-dwelling, particle-selective suspension and surface deposit feeders were relatively abundant, reflecting an advective system with moderate current speeds and low deposition. Sites with gravelly substrate and moderate levels of organic matter in deeper sediment layers likely experience sporadic organic-matter deposition and disturbance from scouring and were inhabited by larger-bodied species, including bivalves and subsurface deposit-feeding or carnivorous polychaetes. Muddy, offshore stations in the southern Chukchi Sea also contained large bivalves and large carnivorous polychaetes, with evidence of high bioturbation. At more coastal Chukchi Sea stations, macrofauna were dominated by small, motile polychaetes concentrated in the 1-cm surface layer, with indications of anaerobic conditions below. Overall, polychaete functional traits and vertical distribution reflected the quality and quantity of organic matter input and the depositional environment inferred from grain size and current speed, with implications for biogeochemical cycling in sediments.

Effects of sieve mesh-size on the identification of benthic assemblages and their relationships with habitats and environmental gradients

One of the most discussed aspects of the cost-effectiveness sampling of benthic macrofauna is the choice of the sieve mesh size. Although other studies have tested the cost-effectiveness of mesh-size choice, especially in estimating biodiversity, they largely overlook the effect on the perceived species-environment relationship. In this sense, this study aimed to understand the effects of mesh-size choice on the relationship between macrobenthic communities with benthic habitats and environmental gradients. Samples were grouped in biological groups, based on species composition similarity, and in sedimentary habitats, according to environmental variables. Using a 0.5 mm mesh size sieve significantly enhanced the abundance and biodiversity, even at the high taxonomic level of class/order. However, its use did not introduce changes in the identified biological clusters. Distinct biological groups matching distinct sedimentary conditions could only be identified for habitats characterized by predominance of medium silt and coarse sand. Specific biological groups were not found for very fine sand and coarse silt habitats, which can be attributed to transitional fauna or unmeasured variables. This result indicates the need for caution in using benthic habitat mapping as a direct surrogate of species assemblages. Although species composition varied in all biological groups with sieve mesh-size choice, no changes were found in the multivariate relationship between macrobenthic assemblages and environmental variables. In conclusion, sieving through 0.5 mm mesh size should be considered in studies aiming at biodiversity assessments, as the number of species and overall abundance more than doubled in comparison to the 1.0 mm mesh size. However, to study the relationship between biological assemblages and the benthic environment and habitats, we recommend the more cost-effective sieving through a 1.0 mm mesh size.

Macrobenthic diversity response to the atlantification of the Arctic Ocean (Fram Strait, 79°N) – A taxonomic and functional trait approach

This is the first study presenting temporal changes of the macrofauna biodiversity along the bathymetric gradient from the shelf to abyssal depths in the eastern Fram Striat. In this region, between 2004 and 2008, a significant increase in surface water temperature was observed due to the transport of Atlantic water from lower latitudes and was defined as a Warm Water Anomaly (WWA). Effects of the WWA in the eastern Fram Strait were observed across the entire food web, from the pelagic to the deep seafloor. The material for our study was collected before (in 2000) and after the WWA (in 2010 and 2017) at station depths ranging from 203 m to 5561 m. Samples of macrofauna and surface sediments were collected with use of a box corer to analyze species composition and functional traits, and environmental characteristics in sediments. We explore the influence of environmental changes on the structure (species composition and diversity) and functioning (functional trait composition and diversity) of macrofauna communities. An increase of primary production in surface waters during and after the WWA was reflected in a higher food availability at the seafloor from shelf to abyssal depths. Warming induced environmental changes led to an increase of macrofauna density and taxonomic diversity at all water depths. Macrofauna species composition significantly changed after the WWA. At all study sites, macrofauna functional diversity increased after the warm period. Functional trait composition changed significantly along the bathymetric transect. Despite changes in the taxonomic composition, macrofauna communities at the shallowest stations showed high functional redundancy, i.e., trait composition remained unchanged after the WWA. At water depths below 1500 m, where functional redundancy was significantly lower, functional trait composition changed significantly after the WWA. Our results suggest that macrofauna communities on the shelves are more resistant to environmental changes compared to deep-sea assemblages in the eastern Fram Strait.

Makrofauna Tanah Sebagai Bioindikator pada Areal Perkebunan yang diberi Limbah Cair Pabrik Kelapa Sawit Sebagai Pupuk

Research on Soil Macrofauna as Bioindicator in Plantation Areas Given Palm Oil Mill Liquid Waste as Fertilizer was conducted in 2021. Samples were taken in Long Bed, Flat Bed, and Control areas using Purposive Sampling and Squares and Hand Sorting methods. Each location is determined by 9 sampling points. Soil macrofauna samples were identified in the USU FMIPA Ecology laboratory. From the results of the study, there were 3 soil macrofauna phyla, namely the Annelida phylum, which consisted of 1 class, 1 order, 2 families, and 2 species. Phylum Arthropoda consists of 5 classes, 10 orders, 16 families, and 27 species. Phylum Mollusca consists of 1 class, 1 order, 1 family, and 1 species. The highest population density (K) was obtained from the species Macrotermes gilvus, which was 81.10 individuals/m2 in the Control area, followed by Ponthoscolex corethrurus at 78.81 individuals/m2 in the Flat Bed area. The highest relative density (KR) was found in the species Macrotermes gilvus, which was 49.1% in the control area, followed by Ponthoscolex corethrurus at 46.84% in the Long Bed area. The highest frequency of presence (FK) was found in the Ponthoscolex corethrurus species, which was 100% in the Control and Flat Bed areas, and 88.88% in the Long Bed areas. Species that can live and reproduce well as bioindicators are Ponthoscolex corethrurus in the Long Bed area, followed by the Flat Bed and Control areas. The highest diversity index value was found in the Flat Bed area, which was 3,831 with the criteria for diversity being high, the distribution of the number of individuals for each species was high, the community stability was good and the soil community had not been polluted, while the Equitabilitas value was 1,258 with the criteria for high uniformity, stable community. The application of palm oil mill effluent as fertilizer to the plantation area can increase the life of the soil macrofauna, and the physical-chemical properties of the soil.

SOIL MACROFAUNA AND MESOFAUNA COMMUNITY ON AGRICULTURAL LAND IN PLIKEN VILLAGE, KEMBARAN DISTRICT, BANYUMAS REGENCY

Soil is a habitat for various types of fauna, especially macrofauna and soil mesofauna. In general, fertile soil can be found on land used for agricultural activities. The purpose of this study was to determine and reveal the community structure of soil macrofauna and mesofauna which includes individual count, diversity, and dominance as well as environmental quality on agricultural land in Pliken Village, Kembaran District, Banyumas Regency in 2021. The study was carried out in January-June 2021. by using survey method and purposive random sampling technique. Sampling of soil macrofauna and mesofauna was carried out in three locations, namely agricultural land in the west, north, and south of the village. Data sampling was carried out in the morning (07.00-09.00 am) and at night (19.00-21.00 am) 6 times with an interval of once a month. Soil macrofauna and meofuana that had been obtained were identified using the Taxonomy and Identification Key book. An Introduction to the Study of Insects and other references related to the identification of soil macrofauna During the study, 2717 soil macrofauna were found which belong to 15 Orders, 31 Families and 40 Species, while for soil mesofauna, 500 individuals were obtained which belong to 14 Orders, 18 Families. and 21 species.The highest individual count for soil macrofauna came from the Formicideae family (86.86%), while the highest individual count for soil mesofauna came from the Isotomideae family (27%). The index of soil macrofauna diversity on agricultural land in Pliken Village ranged from 0.997- 1,789 with an average of 1,287 which means the level of diversity is moderate, while the index Soil mesofauna diversity ranges from 1.13 to 2.15 with an average of 1.65 which means the level of diversity is moderate. Soil macrofauna dominance index is moderate with a range of 0.264 - 0.546 which indicates that there is still dominance by certain soil macrofauna, namely the Formicideae (ant) family, while the soil mesofauna dominance index ranges from 0.13 to 0.38 with an average of 0.23 which indicates the absence of a predominant species. The environmental quality of agricultural land in Pliken Village is categorized as good to support the life of macrofauna and soil mesofauna. Keywords : Soil Macrofauna, Soil Mesofauna, Individual Count, Diversity, Dominance, Pliken Village Agricultural Land

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).

Soil Macrofauna Abundance and Taxonomic Richness under Long-Term No-Till Conservation Agriculture in a Semi-Arid Environment of South Africa

Soil macrofauna are a critical component for ecosystem function and strongly affect production sustainability. The effect of fertiliser management practices, in different cropping systems, on soil macrofauna communities remains poorly understood in semi-arid to arid regions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of tillage practices i.e., no-till (NT), rotational tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) and nitrogen fertiliser application rates (0, 100 and 200 kg/ha N) (urea) on abundance and order diversity of soil macrofauna in a maize continuous monocropping system. The sampling of macrofauna in the trial was conducted in April 2019, August 2019 and March 2020 using 25 cm × 25 cm × 25 cm steel monoliths in randomly selected positions, and this was replicated four times. The study found a significant (p &lt; 0.05) increase in the abundance of soil macrofauna in NT (127 ind/m2) and RT (110 ind/m2) compared to CT (51 ind/m2) treatment. The abundance of macrofauna was also negatively affected by increasing the rate of fertiliser, with 0, 100 and 200 kg/ha resulting in 133, 94 and 62 ind/m2. Orders Haplotaxida and Diplopoda were found to be sensitive to increases in the fertiliser application rate. Haplotaxida (48.4%) was the most abundant order, followed by Coleoptera (18.2%). Other orders included Diplopoda (9.2%), Gastropoda (6.3%), Isoptera (4.7%), Chilopoda (4.7%), Araneae (4%), Hymenoptera (3.2%), Orthoptera (0.9%) and Dermaptera (0.3%). No-till (NT) and rotational tillage (RT) with mulch favoured the establishment of various macrofauna communities in the studied cropping system.

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.

Recovery of temporary pond alpha and beta diversity after wildfire disturbance: the role of dispersal and recolonization processes

ABSTRACT Wildfires are a global disturbance being enhanced by human-induced pressures. Their frequency and intensity are expected to increase in the near future in regions such as the Mediterranean Basin. While responses of terrestrial systems to wildfire have been thoroughly studied, aquatic systems such as temporary ponds have received less attention. Furthermore, previous works have focused on wildfire impacts in aquatic systems from a functional and trait-based approach, but such disturbances can also impact the diversity of these systems at the local and regional level. In this work, we assessed wildfire impacts on alpha and beta diversity of Mediterranean temporary ponds by analysing samples of pond macrofauna after a wildfire burned part of a cluster of these habitats. The wildfire did not change alpha diversity patterns, but differences in beta diversity were observed when considering species abundance. Species with greater contribution to beta diversity were more strongly represented in unburned ponds after the wildfire. These changes occurred mostly during the beginning of the hydroperiod, which increased regional differences in burned ponds, but decreased toward the middle and the end of the hydroperiod. Overall, we report a fast recovery of communities after the wildfire, tightly linked to a rapid recolonization that increased similarity. Landscape structure and seasonal succession are key to the recovery of these systems. However, this recovery capacity might be compromised in the future by increasing occurrence of wildfire and the potential for substantial habitat loss.

Two better than one: The complementary of different types of artificial substrates on benthic marine macrofauna studies

Non-destructive methodologies based on the use of artificial substrates (AS) for quantitative sampling of macrofauna have been used to solve sampling problems in complex benthic environment, such as rocky reefs. The macrofauna assemblages of two different types of AS (dendritic and crevice), at two different locations were studied. The main goal was to evaluate the complementarity of dendritic and crevice AS when sampling the macrofauna associated with rocky environments, in two scenarios: within the same location and between locations. With this approach, we intend to contribute to the development of a non-destructive sampling methodology based on AS. The hypotheses tested were that i) the assemblages associated with each type of AS would differ between them and, ii) regardless of AS type, assemblages would differ between locations. Our results revealed significant differences after three months between the macrofauna assemblages from dendritic and crevice substrates in both locations and differences between locations irrespective of the AS type used. Hence, due to the high number of species that only were attracted by each type of AS and the species settlement preferences, our findings have shown the complementarity of the two types of AS (dendritic and crevice). This suggests that the mixed use of AS could be the best approach to non-destructive standard monitoring programs based on benthic marine macrofauna.

Abundance and diversity of soil invertebrate macro-fauna in different land uses at Shenkolla watershed, South Central Ethiopia

BackgroundLand use can exert a strong influence on the abundance, diversity, and community composition of soil macro-fauna. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of four land use types on the abundance and diversity of soil invertebrate macro-fauna communities. These land uses include forest land, grazing land, crop cultivated outfields, and homestead garden fields present at Shenkolla watershed, south central Ethiopia. Monolith sampling of soil macro-fauna was done according to the standard of Tropical Soils Biology and Fertility Institute (TSBF) procedure. Five sampling points were chosen in each land use type and small monolith (25 × 25 × 30 cm) was dug out at 5-m interval along a transect with randomly positioned starting point, but perpendiculars to the slope. A total of 20 monoliths (4 treatments × 5 replications) were taken across all the land use types. Sampling of SIMF was carried out in April 2019 where soil macro-faunas are known to be more active. To evaluate the SIMF community eight parameters were measured: Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson diversity index, Pielou’s measure of evenness, Margalef’s diversity index, the Number of Occurrence Index, Relative abundance, Density (individuals per square meter) of each taxon and density of all SIMF and Bray-Curtis similarity index. The data were further analyzed using ANOVA and a general linear model to determine the variation and the influence of land use type, respectively.ResultsIn general, 332 individuals, 10 orders, 12 families, and 15 species were identified, from the collected samples. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) among the four land use types for SIMF except wireworm, spiders, and millipedes. Overall abundance and diversity were lowest in the crop cultivated outfields and highest in homestead garden fields and forest land. Bray-Curtis’ similarity was highest between the sampled sites s16 and s19 with in the forest land, and lowest (2%) between sites s1 (crop cultivated out fields) and s14 (homestead garden fields).ConclusionThe results revealed that the diversity of SIMF was positively influenced by forest land and homestead garden fields and negatively influenced in grazing land and cultivated outfields. Therefore, maintenance of a continuous litter cover at the surface and application of a wide range of organic fertilizers (farmyard manure, household refuse, and compost) is very much critical to prevent the decrease in diversity of SIMF.

Macrofaunal diversity and community structure of the DeSoto Canyon and adjacent slope

Northern Gulf of Mexico canyons are centers of organic matter accumulation and biodiversity, but studies of their finer-scale (sub-100 km) ecological patterns are scarce. Detailed sampling of macrofauna within the DeSoto Canyon was undertaken along 3 depth transects on the canyon wall, axis, and adjacent slope. Sediment, terrain, and water mass parameters were also compiled for the same stations. Within the canyon, macrofaunal abundance decreased, evenness increased, and richness followed the expected parabolic curve with depth, peaking at 1100 m. Cluster analysis identified 3 canyon depth groups that conformed to established bathymetric boundaries for the non-canyon Gulf of Mexico slope: Group I at &lt;500 m, Group II at 669-1834 m, and Group III at &gt;2000 m. Explanatory environmental models indicate that canyon community structure was strongly correlated with oxygen concentration and fluorescence, with a weaker potential influence from any of salinity, particulate organic carbon, sediment organic carbon, or slope. Comparisons of the habitats indicated that abundances were highest on the canyon wall. Slope community structure differed from that of either of the canyon habitats. Environmental models consisted of single variables including oxygen concentration, sediment organic carbon, slope, and temperature with similar explanatory values. Community differences within the canyon and between the canyon and adjoining slope contradict previous findings of a single faunal zone for the whole study area. Factors that may contribute to inter-habitat heterogeneity include potential hydrocarbon seepage, organically enriched sediment deposits along channels, or remnant influence from the Deepwater Horizon spill, warranting more research into this dynamic ecosystem.