Edaphic Mites and Their Response to the Incorporation of Organic Matter From Various Species of Fabaceae Into the Soil Beneath Coffee Trees

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and abundance of mites in the soil beneath cultivated coffee trees (Coffea arabica L.). In particular, we compared mite communities in three different soil environments: 1) native forest; 2) soils from underneath the coffee trees "under full sun" (i.e. areas that received no additional shade or organic treatment); 3) soils that incorporated organic matter from four leguminous windbreak plant species-acacia, Acacia mangium Wild.; pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.; gliricidia, Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp.; and leucaena, Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. Sampling was conducted at the ends of the dry and rainy seasons, in São Sebastião do Paraíso, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Undisturbed soil samples were acquired using a cylinder and a Berlese-Tullgren funnel was used to extract the mites in the laboratory. A total of 1,014 mite specimens, assigned into 143 different species, were collected. The forest soil had the greatest richness and total abundance of edaphic mites, while the coffee plantation soils, enriched with acacia, had the lowest richness and abundance. The mite communities of treated soils were less than 18% similar to that of the forest soil. These results suggest that the substitution of native forests with cultivated systems can cause significant changes in the abundance, richness and structuring of edaphic mite communities, particularly of oribatid mites. Maintenance of mite communities should be one of the goals of agricultural practices, since these organisms are important for maintenance of biological cycles, especially for the decomposition of organic matter.

Changes in Land Use through Eucalyptus Plantations Impact Soil Fauna Communities in Brazilian Savannas

“…From the groups associated with soil organic matter, the Acarina sub-class presented a high correlation with this environmental factor, and, since this group presented lower abundance in eucalypt stands compared to the Cerrado, this can represent a major problem for the nutrient cycling process and soil biodiversity. In this context, Carvalho et al [49] affirmed that land-use changes in Central Brazil by the substitution of native forests to monocrop systems reduced the abundance, richness, and structuring of edaphic Acari communities, which corroborates with our findings.…”

Diversidade de ácaros edáficos no bioma Pantanal e potencial de algumas espécies para o controle biológico de pragas de solo

“…As áreas de vegetação natural do local estão sendo removidas para serem implantadas e aumentadas cada vez mais as áreas de pastagem, fato que causa alterações na qualidade do solo e aumento das práticas de manejo que, consequentemente, afetam a biota do solo (Cardoso et al, 2009). Dentre a biota do solo, os ácaros correspondem a grande parte dos microartrópodes aí presentes (Seastedt, 1984;Carvalho et al, 2018). Sua diversidade neste habitat é grande, apresentando grande variação quanto aos hábitos alimentares, podendo ser predadores, decompositores de matéria orgânica, fungívoros ou alimentar-se de outros microrganismos.…”