Soil Fauna Communities and Soil Attributes in the Agroforests of Paraty

Agroforests in Paraty, Brazil, demonstrate remarkable resilience and ecological similarity to native secondary forests. A study comparing two agroforestry systems (AFS-1 and AFS-2), a secondary forest, and a cassava monoculture revealed that AFS-2 exhibited higher abundance of microphagous, saprophagous, and total soil fauna individuals during winter, while AFS-1 showed increased diversity in Formicidae and phytophagous groups from winter to summer. Soil chemical (pH, Al, Ca, Mg, P, K, carbon, organic matter) and microbiological attributes (soil microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration, metabolic quotient) were analyzed alongside soil fauna communities. The findings suggest that these agroforests are undergoing regeneration, mirroring the ecological efficiency of native forests. This research underscores the potential of agroforestry systems to support biodiversity while maintaining soil health.

Silva, M. S. C. d., Correia, M. E. F., Silva, E. M. R. d., Maddock, J. E. L., Pereira, M. G., & Silva, C. F. d. (2016). Soil Fauna Communities and Soil Attributes in the Agroforests of Paraty. Floresta E Ambiente, 23(2), 180–190. https://doi.org/10.1590/2179-8087.059813