Effect of Fallowed and Cultivated Land Use Systems on the Composition and Abundance of Soil Macroinvertebrates Assemblage in Uruk Osung Community, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was to assess the effect of fallowed and cultivated land-use systems on the abundance of soil macroinvertebrates assemblage. Collections of soil samples were carried out fortnightly twice a month for four months. The extraction of soil macroinvertebrates was carried out using Berlese-Tullgren funnel extractor, and elutriation technique. The mean values of 6.93+/-0.25 were recorded for pH, 32.08+/-0.52oC for temperature, 15.60+/-1.22 for moisture content, were recorded for fallowed soil, and 4.43+/-0.16 (pH), 30.95+/-0.19oC (temperature) were recorded for cultivated soil. A total of 17 soil macroinvertebrates species comprising of 11 orders, from four classes were encountered. Out of the 517 individual soil macroinvertebrates encountered, 327 individuals representing four classes were present in the fallow land while 190 individuals representing three classes were present in the cultivated land. The most dominant species in terms of abundance in the fallowed land site included; Cryptotermes sp 67(20.49%) > Blatta sp 56(17.12%) with Hogna sp 1(0.0.30%) the least; while Cryptotermes sp. 79(41.58%) >Lasius sp 30(15.79%) > Lumbricus terrestris 21(11.05%) represents the dominant species in the cultivated soil with Paraponera sp 1(0.53%) the least. Soil temperature showed positive correlation with the abundance of Clitellata (r = 0.851; p < 0.05) and Insecta (r = 0.826; p < 0.05) and Soil pH showed positive correlation with the abundance of Diplopoda (r = 0.911; p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, it could be deduced from the study that human activities in the cultivated site perturb soil macroinvertebrates community structure which is reflected in the relative abundance of soil macroinvertebrate from the two sampling sites. The results obtained in this study could be a piece of pointing information for the conservation and management of the soil macroinvertebrates giving their functions in balancing agroecosystems.

Evaluating Sampling Techniques for Soil Dwelling Arthropod Species Composition and Abundance in University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

“…The soil at the Faculty of Science is alkaline, which, together with the recorded levels of DO and other physico-chemical characteristics and inorganic contents, favoured the taxonomic and individual richness of this site over other sample locations on the main campus of the University of Uyo (Akpan et al, 2020). Bufebo and Elias (2020) and Akpan et al (2021) reported that the taxonomic richness and individual composition, abundance, and diversity of soil dwelling arthropods are linked to soil health, which is determined by its physico-chemical properties. The capture of important soil-dwelling arthropod taxa differed across the two studied sampling techniques.…”

“…There were highly scarily vegetative covers in this sampling site due to construction work and other activities. The topsoil at each sampling site is loamy, with farming operations conducted surrounding the sampling sites mostly planting cassava (Manihot esculenta) (Akpan et al, 2021).…”

“…The traps were left in place for four days (96 hours) before being removed. B e r l e s e -Tu l l g r e n e x t r a c t o r F u n n e l Technique Four (4) Berlese-Tullgren extractor funnels were built using 20L C-way plastic water containers, screened with a 1 mm mesh net (Akpan et al, 2021), set on an iron tripod stand with the opening end facing downward above conical flasks containing 70% alcohol, and equipped with 100-watt bulbs per funnel. The extractor funnel system was left in place for four (4) days before being disassembled.…”

“…Contrariwise Hansen and New (2005) and Leather and Watt (2005) stated that a pitfall trap is inefficient in trapping bottom dwellers. Berlese-Tullgren extractor funnels employ light to produce a thermal gradient on the soil core, and when the soil core sample dries out bottom soil-dwelling arthropods are driven downward and escape through the outlet and caught in a reservoir with or without preservative (Akpan et al, 2021). In this work, the efficiency of the two soildwelling arthropod sampling procedures was compared at the University of Uyo, Uyo, to determine if the two sample techniques are equally effective in the research of the composition, abundance, and diversity of soildwelling arthropod taxa.…”