Seasonal abundance of soil arthropods in relation to meteorological and edaphic factors in the agroecosystems of Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Soil arthropods are an important component of agroecosystems, contributing significantly to their biodiversity and functioning. However, seasonal patterns, population dynamics, and significant roles of these soil arthropods in improvement of soil structures and functions are influenced by many factors. The objective of the current study was to investigate soil arthropod abundance in relation to a blend of meteorological and edaphic factors and to find out the difference in abundance among various crops (sugarcane, cotton, wheat, alfalfa fodder, and citrus orchards). The arthropod sampling was done by pitfall traps and Tullgren extractions on fortnightly intervals. Soil temperature and relative humidity were noted on the field sites while analysis for soil pH, organic matter, and soil moisture contents were done in the laboratory. The rainfall data was obtained from an observatory. Results showed that significant differences were found in soil arthropod abundance across different sampling months and crops. Out of total 13,673 soil arthropods sampled, 38 % belonged to Collembola, followed by 15 % Hymenoptera, 15 % Acarina, 11 % Myriapods, 6 % Coleoptera, 5 % Orthoptera, and 5 % Araneae. Mean abundance per sample was highest in summer months as compared to winter. Overall abundance per sample was significantly different between all crops (p < 0.05). Cluster analysis revealed four categories of soil arthropods according to abundance, i.e., highly abundant (Collembola, Acarina, Myripoda, Hymenoptera), moderately abundant (Orthoptera, Aranae, Coleoptera), least abundant (Dermaptera, Hemiptera, Diptera), and rare (Blattaria, Isoptera, Diplura, Lepidoptera). Soil temperature and soil organic matter showed significant positive correlation with abundance, while relative humidity was significantly negatively correlated. Soil moisture and soil pH showed no significant correlations while no correlation was found with total rainfall. PCA analysis revealed that soil surface arthropods were the major contributors of variation in overall abundance in extreme temperature months while microarthropods in low-temperature months. CCA analysis revealed the occurrence of different arthropod groups in correspondence with different abiotic variables. Results are discussed in view of position of these arthropods as useful indicators under changing environmental conditions impacting agroecosystems in the study area.

<b>Influence of seasonal and edaphic factors on the diversity of scolopendromorph centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha) and general observations on their ecology from Kerala, India</b>

“…But the correlation of Mg is reported against their observations. In another investigation by (Shakir & Ahmed 2015) on influence of blend of meteorological and edaphic factors on soil arthropod abundance observed that soil temperature and soil organic matter showed significant positive correlation with abundance, which supports the present findings. They also discussed that soil moisture and pH showed no significant correlations, which is applicable to the reported observations also.…”

Soil macroarthropod community and soil biological quality index in a green manure farming system of the Brazilian semi-arid

“…Our aim was to determine whether the long-term green manure practice and seasonality alters soil macroarthropod community structure in an agroecosystem of the Brazilian semi-arid. Based on the studies developed by Vasconcellos et al (2010), Shakir and Ahmed (2015), and Bento et al (2016), evaluating seasonal variation of soil macroarthropods in semi-arid conditions, we expected to find variation in abundance and diversity of macroarthropod group in our study conditions. To accomplish this, we performed a field experiment and sampled soil macroarthropods in the rainy and dry seasons of an agroecosystem with long-term cultivation of plant species used as green manure in the Brazilian semiarid.…”

Microarthropods in australian sugarcane soils: A survey with emphasis on the Mesostigmata as potential regulators of nematode populations

“…However, the textural properties of the clay loam soil probably also contributed, as its polyhedral or blocky structure (McKenzie et al, 1999) meant that habitable pore space was available for microarthropods. Results from our pot experiment also showed that more microarthropods were recovered from the clay loam soil than a much lighter-textured sandy loam, again emphasising the fact that a soil's textural properties and carbon levels influence microarthropod abundance (Vreeken-Buijs et al, 1998;Larsen et al, 2004;Shakir and Ahmed, 2015).…”

“…Although sugarcane is the most important agricultural crop in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Australia, and a major crop worldwide, the soil microarthropod fauna of cane fields is little studied. Most research has concentrated on the biology and control of relatively large root-feeding pests such as cane grubs and soldier flies, on a few smaller pests such as ground pearls and symphylans, or on arthropod communities at a low level of taxonomic resolution (Allsopp et al, 1993;Sajjad et al, 2012;Shakir and Ahmed, 2015; but see Asif et al, 2016, on Collembola). In this paper we present survey results that show that sugarcane soils, at least those that have not been tilled for several years, contain a diverse community of microarthropods with the potential to improve crop health through their role in cycling nutrients and regulating populations of root pests and pathogens.…”