Levantamento da macrofauna edáfica em áreas de proteção do leste maranhense

Abstract

Studying the structure of soil macrofauna communities is a means of understanding soil function and potential bioindicators of soil quality. In this context, the objective was to survey soil macrofauna biodiversity in two protected areas in Maranhão. The experiment was conducted in the municipality of Caxias, Maranhão, in two Environmental Protection Areas (APAs): Area I (Buriti do Meio APA) and Area II (Inhamum APA). Provid traps were used to collect soil macrofauna samples. Faunal analysis and diversity, evenness, and richness indices were calculated using the ANAFAU program. The richness accumulation curve for each order was calculated using the R program, employing the Chao1 and Jackknife1 procedures, using the Biodiversity R and Vegan packages. Overall, 6,695 individuals were counted, distributed across 15 orders. The order that stood out most among both areas was the Hymenoptera, considered superdominant, superabundant, superfrequent, and constant. Rainfall can directly affect the abundance of soil macrofauna, while temperature variations did not affect abundance results. The environment in Area II showed greater richness, diversity, and equitability. The accumulation curve for the orders did not reach asymptote, and the richness indices suggest greater sampling effort to reach asymptote, requiring more collections. The study revealed that agricultural management practices affect the behavior of soil fauna, indicating that it is more abundant in more conserved environments, confirming that soil organisms are good bioindicators of soil quality.