Soil microarthropods exposed to the pesticides mancozeb (240 mg per 1 m 2 ) or difl ubenzuron (7.2 mg of difl ubenzuron per 1 m 2 ) were studied for 6 months after a single application. The observed taxa included Collembola, Insecta, Myriapoda, and 4 groups of mites: Actinedida (=Prostigmata), Gamasina, Uropodina, and Oribatida. Their abundance in soil was subject to seasonal fl uctuations, but for a majority of taxa no signifi cant differences were noticed between the control and exposed plots. The total number of microarthropods was insignifi cantly lower in exposed groups. Myriapods were the only taxon that was close to extinction after a single exposure to difl ubenzuron. These data prove that soil has some buffering capacity, and this fact should always be taken into consideration when estimating the risk for the environment. However, the situation may change if the application of pesticides is repeated.
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