Richness and Diversity of the Edaphic Macrofauna in a Brazilian Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest
Cássio Ricardo Gonçalves da Costa *
Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid – Av. Francisco Mota, 572, Bairro Costa e Silva – Mossoró – RN – CEP 59625-900, Brazil.
Marcos Gomes da Silva
Department of Soils and Rural Engineering, Federal University of Paraiba – 12 Rodovia, PB - 079 – Areia – PB – CEP 58397-000, Brazil.
Rayane Sley Melo da Cunha
Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid – Av. Francisco Mota, 572, Bairro Costa e Silva – Mossoró – RN – CEP 59625-900, Brazil.
Marcia Mayara de Sousa
Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid – Av. Francisco Mota, 572, Bairro Costa e Silva – Mossoró – RN – CEP 59625-900, Brazil.
Anne Carolline Maia Linhares
Department of Soils and Rural Engineering, Federal University of Paraiba – 12 Rodovia, PB - 079 – Areia – PB – CEP 58397-000, Brazil.
Sonaria de Sousa Silva
Department of Soils and Rural Engineering, Federal University of Paraiba – 12 Rodovia, PB - 079 – Areia – PB – CEP 58397-000, Brazil.
Ailson de Lima Marques
Department of Soils and Rural Engineering, Federal University of Paraiba – 12 Rodovia, PB - 079 – Areia – PB – CEP 58397-000, Brazil.
Debora Coelho de Moura
Department of Geography, Federal University of Campina Grande – R. Aprígio Veloso, 882 – Campina Grande – PB – CEP: 58428-830 PB, Brazil.
Regiane Farias Batista
Department of Soils and Rural Engineering, Federal University of Paraiba – 12 Rodovia, PB - 079 – Areia – PB – CEP 58397-000, Brazil.
José Ayron Moraes de Lima
Department of Phytotechnics and Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Paraiba – 12 Rodovia, PB-079 – Areia – PB – CEP 58397-000, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of seasonality on the diversity and richness of the edaphic macrofauna during the dry and rainy periods, in an area of Caatinga in the Brazilian semiarid region. Samples were collected in a sample grid, totaling 10 points, spaced 30 meters apart, in rainy and dry seasons. For quantitative assessment of macrofauna, the total number of organisms (species abundance) was measured, according to diversity. The diversity of the soil macrofauna for this research corresponds to the following order: Hymenoptera> Diptera> Aranaea> Orthoptera> Coleoptera, for the rainy and dry periods, with a greater predominance of the order Hymenoptera. The influence of seasonality was observed in relation to the richness and diversity of the region's macrofauna, with marked fluctuations between the rainy and dry periods.
Keywords: Biological rhythms, caatinga, edaphic biodiversity, forest science, soil fauna, semiarid.