Several studies have characterized and delimited subterranean ant assemblages. Soil extraction, one of the methods employed to access this fauna, employs the removal of monoliths. One of the most widely used methods for the extraction of soil sampling is called TSBF (developed by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme). This method provides relevant data about the species associated with the soil. In the present study we characterized assemblages of subterranean ants using the TSBF method in different subtropical areas of the Neotropics. We considered two sampling designs in different localities. The first design resulted in 315 TSBF samples obtained from layers at distinct depths. The second design resulted in 270 TSBF samples and 270 epigaeic pitfall trap samples. This material was used to delimit the species that occur exclusively in the subterranean stratum (TSBF) and that are not found on the soil surface. A total of 281 species were recorded. Of these, 57 can be considered subterranean, based on their occurrence in subterranean strata. We also verified that the highest occurrence of ants was in the first 10 cm of soil depth. Due to the importance of using methods that efficiently extract the subterranean ant fauna in studies, we suggest the TSBF method should be used to sample ants or to associate this method with epigaeic pitfall traps to delimit strictly subterranean assemblages in specific community stratification studies.
Abstract:The soil mesofauna plays a role in organic matter comminution and decomposition, and can be used as bioindicators, since they are sensitive to soil management, vegetation and climate changes. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate mesofauna density and diversity in different land use systems to identify faunal relationships with soil properties, management and seasonality. The study area included five land use systems in Ponta Grossa municipality, Paraná State: integrated crop-livestock (ICL), integrated crop-livestock-forestry (ICLF), grazed native pasture (NP), Eucalyptus dunnii plantation (EU) and no-tillage (NT) cropping systems. In each system, eight soil samples for mesofauna were collected with Berlese funnels of 8 cm diameter along a transect in three replicate plots of 50 m × 100 m. For physical and chemical analysis, soil was sampled at five points per plot in two seasons: winter 2012 and autumn 2013. Data were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and Duncan's test (P < 0.05), nonparametric statistics (when necessary) and redundancy analysis (RDA). Diversity was calculated based on the group richness and Simpson index. The main mesofauna groups found were: Acarina, Collembola and Hymenoptera. Diplopoda, Enchytraeidae, Isopoda, Collembola, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera larvae were more abundant in autumn than winter. Soil moisture was the main factor responsible for higher mesofauna abundance in autumn. Integrated production systems, especially ICLF had similar invertebrate community abundance and composition with EU, while NT favored Oribatid mites, although the use of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides reduced total mesofauna density. Most correlations between mesofauna and physical-chemical attributes in the winter were not observed in the autumn and vice versa, revealing that there are more factors involved in regulating soil mesofauna distribution.
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