EFFECT OF SOIL CONSERVATION TILLAGE ON THE STRUCTURE OF EDAPHIC FAUNA COMMUNITIES

Abstract

Edaphic fauna is a determining factor for the maintenance of soil productivity. Other factors such as soil management can modify edaphic fauna communities and directly interfere with the ecosystem services they provide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the structure of edaphic faunal communities under different conservation tillage systems in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico. Six tillage systems were evaluated for soil conservation in maize plots, SL1: without soil removal and covered with Mucuna sp. residues; SL2: with soil removal and residue burning; SL3: with soil removal and residue incorporation; SL4: without soil inversion and covered with maize residue; SL5: with soil removal and no residue; SL6= without soil removal and maize residue. According to Jaccard’s similarity coefficient, the most similar tillage systems in relation to the species present are the systems with soil removal and residue incorporation (SL3) and without soil removal and with maize residues (SL6) with a value of 0.83. The tillage systems with the greatest richness, diversity and equity of edaphic fauna were with soil removal and residue incorporation (SL3), without soil inversion and covered with maize residue (SL4) and without soil removal and with maize residue (SL6), mainly in the rainy season, which is the season that most affected the edaphic fauna communities