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Springtails (Collembola) are soil organisms with wide morphological diversity and are sensitive to alterations in the soil, regardless of whether they are human-caused or not. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of land use on the morphological diversity of springtails and verify their relationships with soil physical, chemical, and microbiological properties. Samples were collected in the eastern region of Santa Catarina, in three municipalities: Joinville, Blumenau, and Timbó. They included the following land use systems (LUSs): native forest (NF), Eucalyptus plantation (EP), pasture (PA), integrated crop-livestock (ICL), and no tillage (NT). Samples were collected to determine soil properties, and pitfall traps were set in the winter and summer at the same points. The captured springtails were counted and morphotyped, observing features such as presence or absence of ocelli and setae, pigmentation, antenna length, and furcula length. The data were analyzed based on abundance, the Shannon-Wiener (H') and Margalef diversity indices, Pielou's evenness index (J), morphotype richness, modified Soil Biological Quality index (QBS), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Springtails abundance was higher in ICL and PA, whereas morphotype richness was higher in NF and ICL in the winter. The Shannon-Wiener and Margalef indices were higher in the winter in NF. In the summer, only H' differed significantly among the LUSs and was higher in NF. The QBS values did not precisely follow the human intervention gradient in either of the two periods. The PCA showed difference among the periods and LUSs. In the winter, the occurrence of morphotypes was related to soil microbiological and chemical properties, whereas in the summer, the distribution of morphotypes was explained by soil physical and chemical properties. Morphological diversity analysis is a good alternative to study springtail distribution and soil biological quality, especially when associated with multivariate techniques.

Coleopterans (Coleoptera) are major ecosystem service providers. However ecomorphological features that are comparable in a wide range of invertebrates within this group and in various environments must be found, to be able to study regions with different species, contributing to overcome difficulties of the taxonomic approach and understand the functioning of ecosystems. This research addressed the diversity of Coleoptera, using a methodology of ecomorphological traits, as well as their relation with the land use systems (LUS) and the soil properties. The following LUS were evaluated: no-tillage (NT), croplivestock integration (CLI), pasture (PA), Eucalyptus stands (EST), and native forest (NF). Samples were collected using a 3 × 3 point grid (sampling points at a distance of 30 m), in winter and summer, in three municipalities on the Southern Santa Catarina Plateau, Brazil. Coleopterans were collected using the methodology recommended by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Program, based on the excavation of soil monoliths, and on pitfall traps. To evaluate the biological forms (morphotypes) and ecomorphological groups, the ecomorphological index (EMI) methodology was adopted and the modified soil biological quality (SBQ) index was determined. At the same points, samples were collected to evaluate environmental variables (soil physical, chemical, and microbiological properties). Density data underwent nonparametric univariate statistical analysis and multivariate abundance to verify the distribution of coleopterans in the LUS, and the environmental variables were considered as explanatory. Regardless of the LUS, 14 morphotypes were identified, and adult coleopterans with epigean morphologic adaptations were more abundant than hemi-edaphic and edaphic coleopterans, respectively. Morphotype diversity was higher in the systems NF, EST, and PA in summer and in NT in winter. The reductions in SBQ index were not associated with a gradient of land use intensification (NF> EST> PA> CLI> NT), and the index was higher for NF and lower for EST. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated a different distribution of invertebrates between the LUS. For the edaphic species, better adapted to life in the soil, a relation with NT and CLI was observed, due to more favorable pH values and phosphorus content. In the NF, a greater amount of morphotypes was identified, and the properties related to soil carbon dynamics contributed to explain this distribution. Separation at the morphotype level, taking adaptation level to soil life into consideration, has proved efficient to discriminate the LUS, mainly along with other explanatory environmental variables.

RESUMO -A fauna edáfica é sensível às perturbações ambientais e sua resposta pode indicar o estado de conservação do solo em locais com diferentes usos e manejos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a diversidade de grupos da fauna invertebrada e sua relação com atributos edáficos em três usos da terra: Floresta Nativa (FN), Reflorestamento de Pinus (RP) e Campo Nativo Melhorado (CNM), no município de Lages, SC. A amostragem consistiu em três pontos distanciados entre si por 30 metros, estabelecidos ao longo de transectos, em cada sistema. Avaliaram-se os atributos físicos e químicos do solo e da abundância e diversidade da fauna, coletada pelos métodos Pitfall traps e Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility. Os dados foram submetidos à análise estatística multivariada. Identificaram-se 1.210 organismos do solo, pertencentes a 17 grupos taxonômicos, sendo, os mais representativos Collembola e Coleoptera, independente do uso. A FN apresentou maior riqueza e diversidade da fauna edáfica em comparação aos outros sistemas. Os maiores teores de matéria orgânica e pH demonstraram relação com Oligochaeta, Enchytraeidae e Collembola. A umidade do solo contribuiu para explicar a abundância dos grupos em CNM e FN. Contudo, a fauna mostrou respostas diferentes na sua distribuição para cada uso da terra, logo, as variáveis ambientais podem limitar o estabelecimento dos invertebrados mais frequentes no solo. Os sistemas FN e CNM apresentaram melhores condições dos atributos edáficos e por isso maior biodiversidade, quando comparados ao RP.Palavras-chave -biodiversidade, conservação do solo, sistemas de manejo. ABSTRACT -The soil fauna is sensitive to environmental disturbances, their response may indicate the state of soil conservation in different uses and management practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diversity of invertebrate fauna groups and its relationship with edaphic attributes in three land uses: Native Forest (NF), Pinus Reforestation (PR) and Native Improved Grassland (NIM), in Lages, SC -Brazil. Sampling consisted of three points distanced each other 30 meters, established along transects, on each system. The evaluations were physical and chemical soil attributes and the abundance and diversity of fauna, collected by methods Pitfall traps and Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility. The data were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis. They identified 1.210 soil organisms belonging to 17 taxonomic groups. The most representative groups were Collembola and Coleoptera, independent of the use. The NF has introduced greater richness and diversity of soil fauna in comparison to other LUS. The highest levels of organic matter and soil pH showed a relationship with Oligochaeta, Enchytraeidae and Collembola. The values of moisture contributed to explain the greater abundance of groups in NIM and NF. However, the soil fauna showed different responses in its distribution to each land use, being that the environmental variables may limit the establishment of most frequent belowground invertebrates. NF syste...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of soil use on the morphological diversity of springtails and to verify the relationship of these organisms with soil physical, chemical, and microbiological properties. Samples were collected in the Southern region of Santa Catarina, involving three municipalities: Orleans, Lauro Müller, and Siderópolis, in the land use systems (LUS) of native forest (NF), Eucalyptus plantation (EP), pasture (PA), integrated crop-livestock (ICL), and no-tillage (NT). Soil samples to determine edaphic properties and pitfall traps were collected in winter and summer, in the same areas. The collected springtails were counted and morphotyped and the data were analyzed through abundance, Shannon-Wiener diversity (H') and Margalef index, Simpson dominance index (D), Pielou evenness index (J), morphotype richness, and Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Springtails morphotypes were influenced by the management conditions of each system, especially the impact of LUS on these organisms depends on the intensity of the forest/agricultural practices used, including crop rotation and soil preparation.

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