Soil macrofauna in three different environments in Cariri, Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

The diversity of soil fauna has been considered a key aspect for maintaining the structure and fertility of soils. The crops of Cocos nucifera L., Vigna unguiculata L. and Opuntia ficus indica Mill. are major crops for income generation in the semiarid. This study aimed to identify the population of macrofauna present in these crops. The study was conducted in the municipality of Parari, Paraíba State, Brazil, in February 2012 (rainy season). For soil macrofauna determination, the samples were collected in seven points, using Provid traps at the level of the soil surface. From the data obtained were quantified and calculated the number of groups, and the diversity and the uniformity by sthe Shannon (H) and Pielou (e) indexes. The data were submitted to analysis of variance (F test) and the means were compared by Tukey test at 5% and 1% probability. The most abundant taxa and that showed less Shannon and Pielou indexes were Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Araneae respectively. Diplodia, Diptera and Thysanura had higher number of individuals in the cultivated area with C. nucifera, while the order Lepidoptera was higher in the culture O. ficus indica.