EFFECT OF LEGUME TREES ON SOIL MACROFAUNA OF A Brachiaria brizantha cv. MARANDU PASTURE

Authors

  • Paulo Francisco Dias
  • Sebastião Manhães Souto
  • Maria Elizabeth Fernandes Correia
  • Khalil de Menezes Rodrigues
  • Avílio Antonio Franco

Keywords:

Soil macrofauna, sivipastoral systems, soil quality

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of four legume tree species in a Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pasture on soil macrofauna density and diversity, in a low natural fertility soil. The tree leguminous species introduced in the pasture were Pseudosamanea guachapele, Mimosa artemisiana, Mimosa tenuiflora, and Enterolobium contortisiliquum. The macrofauna sampling consisted in collecting six soil monoliths with 25 cm x 25 cm x 30 cm under tree canopies or in a transect in the single Brachiaria pasture. The densities varied from 602 individuals.m-2 under the canopy of E. contortisiliquum to two individuals.m-2 in the single pasture. The largest group richness was found under M. tenuiflora canopy (ten groups), followed by P. guachapele (nine groups), E. contortisiliquum (seven groups) and M. artemisiana (six groups). The leguminous species influence was related to N content and to C:N ratio of leaf material. M. artemisiana and M. tenuiflora favored the occurrence of Oligochaeta and Coleoptera larvae, while under the P. guachapele and E. contortisiliquum canopies Formicidae activity was more intense.

KEY-WORDS: Soil macrofauna; sivipastoral systems; soil quality.

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Author Biography

Paulo Francisco Dias

Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Est. Exp. de Seropédica. CEP 23851-970 Seropédica, RJ. E-mail: pfranciscodias@hotmail.com

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Published

2007-10-16

How to Cite

DIAS, P. F.; SOUTO, S. M.; CORREIA, M. E. F.; RODRIGUES, K. de M.; FRANCO, A. A. EFFECT OF LEGUME TREES ON SOIL MACROFAUNA OF A Brachiaria brizantha cv. MARANDU PASTURE. Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical [Agricultural Research in the Tropics], Goiânia, v. 37, n. 1, p. 38–44, 2007. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/pat/article/view/1863. Acesso em: 17 jul. 2024.

Issue

v. 37, n. 1, Jan./Mar. 2007

Section

Research Article

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