Open AccessSazonalidade da mesofauna edáfica em fragmentos de vegetação de caatinga no semiárido nordestino do Brasil
Author(s) -
Mayara Andrade Souza,
Kallianna Dantas Araújo,
Élida Monique da Costa Santos,
Gilcean Silva Alves,
João Gomes da Costa
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
principia/revista principia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2447-9187
pISSN - 1517-0306
DOI - 10.18265/1517-03062015v1n50p64-71
Subject(s) - soil mesofauna , biology , psocoptera , forestry , humanities , botany , geography , ecology , soil biology , art , soil water
The edaphic mesofauna comprises litter-decomposing organisms deposited on the surface that directly participate in the process of nutrient cycling and the formation of organic matter, essential to maintain soil quality. The aim of this research was to quantify the abundance, richness and diversity of the edaphic mesofauna in caatinga environments in the semiarid region of Alagoas. For this research, two areas of native caatinga were selected, located in Olho D’Água do Casado (area I) and Delmiro Gouveia (area II), in the state of Alagoas, whose areas of vegetation are characterized as hypoxophilous caatinga. The collections were conducted bimonthly between February 2012 and October 2013. For the collection of mesofauna, twenty pre-selected points were used, from which samples of soil + litter were taken, with the aid of metal rings, 5 cm soil depth. The samples were taken to the battery of extractors Berlese-Tullgren, which was modified for the extraction of the organisms, and later the captured organisms were quantified and identified in the order of the large taxonomic groups. To measure the wealth of the groups, Shannon’s Diversity Index and Pielou’s Equability Index were used. The dominant groups of soil mesofauna in area I were Acarina, Collembola, Isoptera and Psocoptera, while in area II were Acarina, Collembola, Psocoptera and Hymenoptera.