Studies on the biodiversity of soil microarthropod and their responses to precipitation regimes

Abstract

In an attempt to determine the responses of soil microarthropods to precipitation regimes, samples were collected during dry season, simulated wet and rainy season periods.  Also, biodiversity indices showed variation in soil microanthropod diversity and abundance in relation to cultivated, uncultivated and leaf litter sites.  Generally, soil microanthropod abundance and species richness showed preference for the moisture rich sampling sites, with highest biodiversity indices recorded during the rainy periods.    However the simulated wet periods of the dry season merely influenced abundance and had little or no relationship with species richness, as it was noticed in the three studied sites.  Results also show that different families of soil microanthropods had different habitat preferences and their abundance correlated positively with varying soil pH and soil moisture but negatively with soil temperatures of their habitats.  This suggests that physiochemical parameters affect soil microanthropod biodiversity.