Soil Macrofauna Diversity Research Articles

Diversity Of Soil Macrofauna On Several Land Use On Peatlands

Peatlands are very vulnerable to land use change. Some of the current peatland cover conditions include agricultural cultivation lands, plantations, shrubs and secondary forest. The presence of soil macrofauna as a soil ecosystem engineer can be a bio-indicator of peatland fertility. This study aims to analyze the diversity of soil macrofauna in several patterns of peat land use in cultivated areas. The research was conducted in December 2017 in Rasau Jaya District, Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan Province. The research method used is monolithic technique with descriptive data analysis using the alpha and beta diversity index approach. The results showed that the diversity and diversity of macrofauna species on peatlands were classified as medium and low, with the highest diversity found in secondary forest patterns (H '= 2.09) and the lowest in oil palm plantations (H' = 0.73), while species richness was found. The highest was found in secondary forest (R '= 4.01) and the lowest was in oil palm plantations (R' = 1.42). The highest population density and abundance were the order Isoptera and Opisthopora, while the lowest is Dermaptera. Several groups of macrofauna which are used as bioindicators of land fertility are found in all land use patterns with the dominan order is Isoptera and Opisthopora. Soil temperature and acidity conditions affect soil macrofauna population density. The presence of diverse vegetation and adequate canopy can affect environmental conditions and the diversity of soil macrofauna. Based on the diversity of soil macrofauna, cultivation with an agroforestry pattern is preferable to peatlands.

Pasture diversification affects soil macrofauna and soil biophysical properties in tropical (silvo)pastoral systems

The diversification of tropical pastures with legumes (trees) for increased forage and animal productivity has been advocated. Nevertheless, effects on soil quality and belowground biodiversity, and the implications for sustainable intensification remain poorly documented, particularly when cattle grazing is included in the study. We evaluated the impact of forage system diversification with herbaceous and woody legumes on soil properties and soil macrofauna communities and their spatial heterogeneity in a three-year-old field trial in Cauca Valley, Colombia. Three forage-based systems were compared: (i) a conventional monoculture-species grass pasture system of Brachiaria hybrid cv. Cayman (CP); (ii) a mixed pasture system consisting of Brachiaria grass with the leguminous herb Canavalia brasiliensis (LP); and (iii) a silvopastoral system with rows of the legume tree Leucaena diversifolia planted within LP pastures (SPS). The experiment was arranged in a complete randomized block design with three replicates and grazing cattle rotating across blocks. Plots were grazed by three (treatments CP and LP) or four bulls (SPS) aiming to reflect the expected cattle intensification in SPS systems. Physico-chemical soil properties and macrofauna abundance and their spatial heterogeneity as affected by the distance from the tree rows in SPS, were assessed. Herbaceous legumes positively affected the abundance and diversity of soil macrofauna and soil physical properties in LP and the alleys between tree rows in SPS, as compared to CP. In the SPS, the highest soil quality and macrofauna abundance occurred at the edge of the tree lines, while the highest soil compaction and the lowest abundance of soil macrofauna occurred in the tree rows, probably due to the behavioral change of the grazing cattle in combination with the higher stocking rate in SPS. Soil properties in LP and in the alleys between the tree rows of SPS were comparable despite higher stocking rate in SPS. Overall, the SPS and LP systems, proved to be suitable alternatives to CP allowing for sustainable intensification of pastures although careful evaluation of possible trade-offs associated with increased spatial heterogeneity in SPS is recommended to avoid localized soil compaction. Soil macrofauna, particularly functional groups (classified by feeding habits) proved to be a sensitive soil quality indicator in response to contrasting pasture systems.

Diversity of Soil Macrofauna on Teak (Tectona grandis) and Kimpul (Xanthosoma sangittifolium) Agroforestry

Soil macrofauna has an important role in the ecosystems and soil fertility. Agroforestry patterns have environmental benefits such as providing living space for biodiversity including soil macrofauna. This study aims to measure the influence of teak and kimpul agroforestry on the diversity of soil macrofauna. The study was conducted on teak and kimpul agroforestry demonstration plots in the KPH Yogyakarta in January 2019. The research method used was monolith and hand sorting techniques and the analysis was carried out descriptively using the species diversity index approach. The results showed that teak and kimpul agroforestry patterns did not affect on the diversity of species and density of soil macrofauna. The level of diversity of soil macrofauna in teak and kimpul agroforestry, teak monoculture and kimpul monoculture are low. The value of soil macrofauna diversity in teak and kimpul agroforests is higher than teak monoculture and kimpul monoculture. A total of five types of soil macrofauna were found in 12-year teak agroforestry, six types in 42-year teak agroforestry, five types in 12-year teak monoculture, eight types in 42-year teak monoculture and five types in kimpul monoculture. The dominant soil macrofauna are Microtermes sp. and Anomala sp.

KEANEKARAGAMAN MAKROFAUNA TANAH DI PERKEBUNAN KOPI DESA BATU KALUNG KECAMATAN MUARA KEMUMU KABUPATEN KEPAHIANG

This study aims to determine the diversity of existing soil macrofauna at coffee plantations located at Batu Kalung village, Muara Kemumu subdistrict of Kepahiang regency. This research was conducted in February 2018 at the coffee plantations area. The methods used in this research were pitfall-trap and hand sorting. The result of the study at the site found there are 9 orders of macraofauna consisting of 11 families, 13 species, and 188 spesimen.The species found were Heterometrus lepturus, Scolopendrae morsitans, Trigoniulus corallines, Neocurtilla hexadactylla, Gryllus assimilis, Ceuthophilus maculates, Dolichoderus bituberculatus, Componotus carnelus, Blatta germanica, Blattella orientalis, Odontotaenius disjunctus, Ponthoscolex corethurus, and Hirudo medicinalis. The calculation of soil macrofauna index in coffee plantations found a number of 0.942. This indicates that that the level of soil macrofauna diversity at the coffee plantations is low. The highest soil macrofauna diversity index was found on Ponthoscolex corethurus, which is 0.146. In the contrary, the lowest diversity index was found onHeterometrus lepturus species, 0.011. In addition, The average physics-chemical factor of soil at the coffee plantation was obtained that the soil temperature is 280C, soil pH of 5.8, and soil moisture of 67

Diversity and abundance of soil macrofauna in three land use systems in eastern Amazonia

ABSTRACT Given the influence of edaphic macrofauna in the physical, chemical, and biological processes that sustain the organic matter cycle in the soil of tropical ecosystems, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of the sequence: Secondary Forest – Pasture – Eucalyptus monoculture on the macrofauna structure in Southeast of Para State, Brazil. In each land use system, two 350 m transect were taken. The data was collected in 8 sampling sites, which were 50 m apart in each transect [...]

Arthropod Diversity Influenced by Two Musa-Based Agroecosystems in Ecuador

Banana and plantain (Musa spp.) are very important crops in Ecuador. Agricultural production systems based on a single cultivar and high use of external inputs to increase yields may cause changes in the landscape structure and a loss in biodiversity. This loss may be responsible for a decrease in the complexity of arthropod food webs and, at the same time, related to a higher frequency and range of pest outbreaks. Very little is known either about the ecological mechanisms causing destabilization of these systems or the importance of the diversity of natural enemies to keep pests under control. Few studies have focused on this issue in tropical ecosystems. Here, we address this problem, comparing two Musa-based agroecosystems (monocultivar and mixed-species plantations) at two sites in Ecuador (La Maná and El Carmen) with different precipitation regimes. The diversity of soil macro fauna, represented by arthropods, was established, as indicators of the abovementioned disturbances. Our ultimate goal is the optimization of pest management by exploring more sustainable cropping systems with improved soil quality. Arthropod abundance was higher in the mixed system at both localities, which was clearly associated with the quality of the soils. In addition, we found Hymenoptera species with predatory or parasitic characteristics over the pests present in the agroecosystems under study. These highly beneficial species were more abundant at the locality of La Maná. The mixed type of production system provides plant diversity, which favors beneficial arthropod abundance and permits lower agrochemical application without yield penalties in comparison to the monoculture. These findings will help in the design of Musa-based agroecosystems to enhance pest control.

Monitoring of The Palm Oil Plantation Ecosystem Based on Land Macrofauna Diversity

Oil palm plantations of PT. Supra Matra Abadi has used palm oil mill effluent to the plantation area as fertilizer (Land Application) to part of its plantation area. The difference in land use and management in the plantation area also determines the presence, both species, density, diversity index value, and soil macrofauna uniformity index. Soil macrofauna plays a role in maintaining the balance of the soil ecosystem. This research has been conducted at PT. Supra Matra Abadi, located in Kebun Panji Bay, Kampung Rakyat District, Labuhanbatu Selatan Regency, North Sumatra Province in May-July 2018. This research was conducted to determine the presence of species, population density, diversity index values, and uniformity of soil macrofauna on oil palm plantations. Determination of the sampling point is done by the Purposive Random Sampling method, soil macrofauna sampling using the Quadratic and Hand Sorting methods. There are 15 species of soil macrofauna which are grouped into 2 phyla, 5 classes, 9 orders, 12 families, and 15 genera. The highest density value was found in the area of plantations that were not given liquid palm oil mill effluent as fertilizer (Non Land Application) of 282.15 ind / m2 and the highest diversity index value was found in the area of oil palm plantations which were fertilized with palm oil mill liquid waste to land area (Land Application) which shows that the condition of the oil palm plantation ecosystem which is fertilized with palm oil mill effluent (Land Application) can support the life, diversity, and uniformity of soil macrofauna.

Keanekaragaman dan Kelimpahan Makrofauna Tanah pada Tiga Tegakan Berbeda di Hutan Pendidikan Gunung Walat

Soil macrofauna is an important factor in studying the biological soil quality. The activity of soil macrofauna affects the soil properties and condition. The objective of this study was to identify the soil macrofauna and analyze the diversity, evenness, and richness index of soil macrofauna on some sites at educational forest of gunung Walat. The macrofauna was collected using hand sorting method on 40x40 cm plots in 10 cm depth of soil and 3-5 cm thick of forest litters at Agathis, Pinus, and Puspa trees. The identification result showed that a total 641 individuals were found under Agathis, Pinus, and Puspa trees. The Pinus trees showed the highest frequency of soil macrofauna (377 individu). The Agathis trees showed the highest value of diversity index, that was H’=2.38, DMg=4.12, and E=0.78.
 Keywords: abundance, diversity, soil macrofauna, hand sorting method, Gunung Walat

PENGARUH BIOCHAR DAN PUPUK HIJAU Calopogonium mucunoides TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL KEDELAI (Glycine max L. Merril) SERTA MAKROFAUNA TANAH DI GAWANGAN TANAMAN KELAPA SAWIT

Oil palm plantations in Riau are very extensive and developed on marginal land. The utilization of oil palm plant for soybean cultivation is an alternative to increasing soybean production in Riau, because soybeans are classified as plants that tolerant to shade. The research aimed to study the interaction of biochar and Calopogonium mucunoides green fertilizer on growth and yield of soybeans and diversity of soil macrofauna in inter-rows of oil palm plant. The research was conducted in Pekanbaru, carried out in 7-year-old oil palm plant and soil science laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau from April-August 2018. The research was done experimentally in a 3x3 factorial form using a completely randomized design (CRD). The first factor is biochar from coconut shell consists of 3 levels (0, 2,5 and 5 ton.ha-1). The second factor is Calopogonium mucunoides green fertilizer consists of 3 levels (0, 2,5 and 5 ton.ha-1). The parameters observed were plant height, pods per plant, percentage of pithy pods, seeds per plant, seed weight per plot, weight of 100 seeds, population density and relative density of soil macrofauna, and diversity index of soil macrofauna. The results showed 2,5 ton.ha-1 biochar followed by 2,5 ton.ha-1 Calopogonium mucunoides green fertilizer increased the number of pods per plant compared to controls. The total individuals and population of soil macrofauna increased at 5 ton.ha-1 biochar followed by 5 ton.ha-1 Calopogonium mucunoides green fertilizer with the family that was often found, namely Scarabaeidae. The diversity index of soil macrofauna is low.

KEANEKARAGAMAN MAKROFAUNA TANAH DI LAHAN BEKAS TERBAKAR DAN TIDAK TERBAKAR DI HUTAN LARANGAN ADAT RUMBIO

Soil macrofauna is a part of soil biodiversity that plays an important role in the improvement soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Fires that occur will affect the activity and presence of soil macrofauna which helps the decomposition process of organic materials such as providing better environmental facilities (Micro Habitat). This research aims to know species diversity and population density of soil macrofauna on burned and unburned land in The Rumbio Customary Forest. The research was carried out in The Rumbio Customary Forest and the Soil Laboratory Faculty of Agriculture University of Riau. The sampling of soil macrofauana was carried out on burned and unburned land in The Rumbio Customary Forest and also for measurement of soil physical-chemical factors. The research used the hand sorting method. This research showed that the population density of soil macrofauna on unburned land is higher if compared to burned land

Soil macrofauna diversity and population dynamics in Indian Himalayan agroecosystems

Soil macrofauna diversity in Himalayan mountain agroecosystems has received negligible attention despite people’s dependence on soil fertility that determines crop yield for their sustenance. This study was carried out with the objective to determine differences in soil macrofauna taxonomic groups and abundance with soil depth (0–30 cm) in irrigated and non-irrigated wheat and rice crops of two dominant Himalayan mountain agroecosystems. At both the sites, a total of 11 macrofauna groups and 23 families were recorded. Macrofauna population across both crop seasons for non-irrigated fields was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than in irrigated fields. Macrofauna population significantly differed (P < 0.001) with soil depth and significantly declined with increasing soil depth (P < 0.001). The top soil (0–10 cm depth) contributed over 80% of the total macrofauna population. Macrofauna diversity in non-irrigated fields (H′ = 2.10) was greater than in irrigated fields (H′ = 1.86), but β diversity was greater in irrigated fields (1.67 vs 1.76). The two agroecosystem types significantly differed (P < 0.05) with soil depth and crop season. On the basis of presence or absence, the macrofauna groups were categorised as (i) present in soil year-round but exhibiting high density during warm and wet rainy season and (ii) present in soil only during the warm and wet rainy season. The non-irrigated fields had greater abundance of Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Hemiptera and Isoptera than the irrigated fields. This study highlights that the Himalayan mountain crop fields host a rather diverse and abundant macro-invertebrate community that should be efficiently used to promote soil fertility.

Influence of organic and mineral fertilizers on edafic fauna in Luvisol cultivated with sesame

The aim of this study was to evaluate the abundance and diversity of soil macrofauna under the influence of organic fertilization with goat manure compared to NPK fertilization in a Luvisol with two sesame cultivars. The experiment was conducted in Alagoinha - PB, under field conditions at the Experimental Station of the State Enterprise for Agricultural Research of Paraiba SA (Empresa Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária da Paraíba S.A. - EMEPA), approximately 1.24 miles away from the city. The design utilized was in random blocks with the treatment groups: T1: goat manure as organic source in BRS 196 cultivar (CNPA G4), T2: goat manure as organic source in BRS Seda cultivar, T3: mineral fertilizer with NPK in BRS 196 cultivar (CNPA G4), T4: mineral fertilizer with NPK in BRS Seda cultivar, T5: No fertilization in BRS 196 cultivar (CNPA G4) and T6: No fertilization in BRS Seda cultivar, with these fertilizers based on soil analysis, totaling 24 experimental units. In assessing the ecological behavior of soil macrofauna, it was measured the total number of individuals (abundance) and wealth of faunistic groups and communities comparisons were made using the Shannon biodiversity indices (H and equitability of Pielou (e). The treatment groups with organic fertilization were more abundant and rich as well as the faunistic group Hymenoptera had the highest abundance and lower diversity and uniformity, independently of the treatment groups studied and the samplings collected. The treatment groups studied did not influence the diversity and uniformity of edafic macrofauna.

Soil Macrofauna Responses to Sugarcane Straw Removal for Bioenergy Production

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) residue (straw) has been identified as a promising feedstock for bioenergy production, but excessive straw removal may impair soil macrofauna and related ecosystem services. To quantify straw removal effects on abundance, richness, and diversity of soil macrofauna, four experiments were conducted in Sao Paulo state, Brazil, under different edaphoclimatic conditions. A secondary goal was to evaluate seasonal changes on soil macrofauna and identify linkages between those changes and soil chemical and physical attributes. Four straw removal treatments (NR, no removal, LR, low removal, HR, high removal, and TR, total removal) were evaluated. Macrofauna and other soil attributes were sampled within the 0- to 0.30-m depth increment. Soil macrofauna were impaired by TR with the magnitude of response being related to both edaphoclimatic conditions and management practices. Numerous interactions among seasons, straw removal rates, and soil macrofauna were found, especially for total abundance and diversity of organisms. Partial straw removal (HR and LR) may be a strategy to protect soil health and increase bioenergy production with minimal effects on soil macrofauna, although long-term experiments are needed to confirm our hypothesis. The NR treatment generally had better soil quality as indicated by greater soil moisture, macropore number, soil organic carbon (SOC) content, and soil fertility, which led to a higher abundance of most macrofauna organisms. Total removal resulted in greater soil compaction and decreased macrofauna abundance, especially in clay soils. Our findings confirm that an integrated approach using soil indicators as guidelines should be adopted to better predict sustainable straw management practices for sugarcane in Brazil.

Studi Biofisik pada Lanskap Hutan Rawa Gambut di Taman Nasional Sebangau: Kasus di Resort Mangkok

Fire and illegal logging are main causes of peat swamp forest (PSF) degradation. Degradation causes biotic and abiotic changes of PSF. This reasearch was designed to collect data on description of species composition, carbon stock, soil physical factors, and soil macrofauna as indicators of changes in land condition due to PSF degradation. This research was conducted on degraded PSF area caused by fire and illegal logging. Sample plots were located based on the distance from the river i.e., <1.5; <4; and <10 km. Parameters measured included species composition of the stands and their ecological indices, carbon stock potention, soil physical condition (density), and soil macrofauna diversity. Research results showed that all of the parameters in those three locations were not significantly different. Based on those conditions, the main causes of degradation gave the same effects (biotic and abiotic changes) in the very ranged area with 10 km distances. These results were caused by the condition that all parameters measured were very sensitive to changes occurred in all experimental location.

Tillage and residue management drive rapid changes in soil macrofauna communities and soil properties in a semiarid cropping system of Eastern Colorado

Tillage and stover harvest are common management practices in maize-based cropping systems around the globe. However, frequent soil disturbance and biomass export are likely to have negative long-term impacts on soil biological activity and a range of associated soil properties, and thus, there is great concern surrounding the sustainability of these practices. To address this issue, we examined soil macrofauna communities and a suite of soil chemical and physical properties in a recently established experiment (2.5 yrs. old) in Akron, Colorado. No-tillage and residue retention practices were included in a full factorial randomized block design with the following treatments: no-till + residue retention (NT/R); no-till + residue harvest (NT/RH); conventional tillage + residue retention (CT/R); and conventional tillage + residue harvest (CT/RH). In year three of the experiment, soil health parameters were assessed including: soil macrofauna diversity and abundance, aggregate stability, potential infiltration, and chemical fertility measures. The combined practice of residue retention with no-tillage (NT/R) resulted in greater macrofauna abundance, including a five-fold increase in earthworm abundance and biomass. Greater earthworm populations were associated with an increase in aggregate stability and a trend towards greater water infiltration under NT/R. While univariate tests did not reveal significant treatment differences in arthropod taxa, multivariate analyses indicated clear treatment effects on macrofauna communities, with tillage generally separating communities more than residue management. Soil chemical parameters indicated relatively less dramatic differences between treatments, but with some notable impacts of both residue retention and tillage on soil C and N dynamics. Findings from our study, among the first to examine whole soil macrofauna communities in the semi-arid Great Plains, suggest that no-till and residue retention practices offer promise for improving soil biological activity and soil structural properties of soil, especially when these two practices are employed in combination.

Soil macrofauna diversity and structure under different management of pine-coffee agroforestry system

The role of tropical forests for maintaining environmental functions is decreasing due to the rapid changes to agricultural purposes. Agroforestry system is assumed to be an alternative system which reduces the negative impact of the conversion in term of maintaining the level of soil macrofauna diversity. This study was conducted at UB Forest within the period November 2017 to February 2018 by collecting soil macrofauna from 9 different land use types using hand sorting along with pitfall sampling for comparison. ANOVA and various diversity indexes were used (Shannon index, Pielu index, etc) to determine macrofauna structure and communities. Total soil C was examined using Walkley and Black method along with Particulate Organic Matter (POM) C fractionation approaches. Litter inputs were collected using a litter trap method, whilst in-situ litter were determined using destructive methods. Biplot and CVA multivariate analyses were adopted to determine the impact of different management on soil macrofauna diversity and structure. The result showed that conversion to agriculture practices reduced the structure, population and abundance of soil macrofauna as litter production, organic matter and soil C content decreased. The lowest abundance of individual soil macrofauna at monoculture system (PM) was reduced to 45 morphospecies compared to pine coffee agroforestry at the age of 4 (PK4:20 years after planting) system as much as 104 morphospecies. There was a strong relationship between litter thickness and the abundance of soil macrofauna. Both methods (Hand sorting vs Pitfalls traps), had a different ability for collecting soil macrofauna communities. Species occurs at rich or low organic matter input can be adopted as soil macrofauna bioindicator of changes on an ecosystem. Biplot and CVA methods can be used to distinguish and to cluster the impact of different management at various agroforestry systems.

DIVERSITY OF SOIL MACRO FAUNA AND ITS ROLE ON SOIL FERTILITY IN MANGLID AGROFORESTRY

Soil macro fauna is one of the bio indicators in determining the quality of the land. The total soil macro fauna is influenced by the climatice condition and land utilization pattern. Agroforestry is one of type land utilization that is expected to improve the soil fertility. Land utilization changing from monoculture into agroforestry is predicted to influence the soils macro fauna. This study is aims to find out the population of soil macro fauna before and after applying manglid agroforestry. The research was conducted in Cukangkawung, Tasikmalaya District, West Java Province. Sample of macro fauna was taken from non-productive land of tea plantations and one year after the land was planted by manglid + corn + peanut by using agroforestry. Samples were taken in Feb-March 2015 and once more in Feb-March 2016. The observation land area is 1 hectare that is divided into 1 m x 1 m - 16 observation plots that was placed randomly. In each plot, a hole of 30 cm in depth was made and the dug out soil was placed on the plastic container. The collected macro fauna was counted and placed into a bottle that was filled with 70% alcohol. The macro fauna identification was conducted in LIPI zoology laboratory. The research shows that the diversity indexes for Shanon and Margalef on manglid agroforestry are higher than on the ex tea land. Factors that influence the soil macro fauna diversity improvement is pH, low temperature of soil and high soil moisture. Soil macro fauna becomes organic decomposer in agroforestry for about 56,25% and 20% in non-productive land of tea plants.

Edaphic Arthropods in Fragment of Riparian Forest in the Semi-Arid of Paraíba

Important for soil quality, the edaphic fauna is indicative of an environment in equilibrium. The study aimed to identify the macrofauna and mesofauna organisms of the soil in a fragment of riparian forest. The work was carried out in a fragment of ciliary forest on the farm Tamandu&amp;aacute;, municipality of Santa Terezinha, Para&amp;iacute;ba. The macrofauna was quantified in soil samples collected at different depths (0-5 cm and 5-10 cm) using the TSBF method. For the mesofauna was collected randomly in the same area, samples of soil + litter in the depths 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm using metal rings. The design was completely randomized in a 4 &amp;times; 2 factorial scheme (4 seasons, 2 depths), with 5 replicates, the means being compared by the Tukey test. The main orders of the macrofauna were: Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Isoptera, and Enquitre&amp;iacute;deos being the order of greater proportion in the two depths to Hymenoptera. There were a higher population and diversity of soil macrofauna in the superficial layer (0-5 cm). For the mesofauna were found in the samples organisms belonging to the groups Acarina and Collembola, being the order Acarina the most representative in the two depths evaluated. The environment of riparian forest presents greater diversity and density of macrofauna and mesofauna of the soil in the layer of 0.0-5.0 cm of depth, which presents greater food supply and conditions favorable to the survival of these organisms.

Understory Vegetation in Oil Palm Plantations Benefits Soil Biodiversity and Decomposition Rates

Oil palm is the most productive vegetable oil crop per unit area and is crucial to the economy of developing countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. However, it is also highly controversial due to the impact it has on biodiversity. Inputs of herbicides to control understory vegetation in plantations are high, which is likely to harm native biodiversity, but may be unnecessary in protecting oil palm yield. In this study we investigate the effects of understory manipulation using herbicides on soil fauna, litter decomposition rates, and soil abiotic variables: pH, soil organic carbon, soil water content, nitrogen, carbon/nitrogen ratio, potassium, and phosphorous. Understory vegetation was manipulated in three treatments: enhanced understory complexity (no herbicides, developed understory), normal understory complexity (intermediate herbicide use with some manual removal) and reduced understory complexity (heavy herbicide use, no understory vegetation). Two years after treatment, soil macrofauna diversity was higher in the enhanced than the normal, and reduced understory treatment. Furthermore, both macrofauna abundance and litter decomposition was higher in the enhanced than the reduced understory treatment. By contrast, soil fertility did not change between treatments, perhaps indicating there is little competition between oil palms, and understory vegetation. The reduction of herbicide use should be encouraged in oil palm plantations, this will not only reduce plantation costs, but improve soil biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning.

The Diversity of Soil Macrofauna on Agroforestry Teak (Tectona grandis) and Polynesian Arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides)

Teak and polynesian arrowroot is a new pattern of agroforestry to support food security of communities around forests in coastal areas. The presence of polynesian arrowroot under teak stands is not only expected to be food sources but also to provide ecological benefits for biodiversity, especially soil macrofauna. The study aims is to determine the diversity of soil macrofauna in teak and polynesia arrowroot agroforestry patterns. The study was conducted in Garut Regency in April 2017. The method used in this study was monolithic technique and analyzed by calculating diversity and richness index. The object was an agroforestry demonstration plot with three polynesia arrowroot spacings under 7-years-old teak stand and monoculture teak. The results showed that there were 5 soil macrofaunas in teak and polynesian arrowroot agroforestry which are from five families and five orders. The dominance order was coleoptera with Important Value Index (IVI) = 133.93% -157.78% and opisthophora with IVI = 103.51%. The diversity and richness of soil macrofauna in teak and polynesian arrowroot agroforestry patterns is low (H '= 0.28-0.55; R' = 0.87-1.48). Although agroforestry cultivation is carried out intensively, there is no difference in the diversity of soil macrofauna when compared to teak monoculture.