Litter removal impact on an edaphic arthropod community in abandoned corymbia citriodora plantations

Abstract

Manipulation experiments can contribute to understand the ecological role of litter in forest ecosystems. However, there are few studies of this nature. We evaluated the effects of the litter layer removal (RS) on the soil arthropod community in two abandoned plantations of Corymbia citriodora at different stages of the Atlantic Rainforest natural regeneration. Pitfall traps were randomly installed in plots (5 x 20 m) of RS and control (CT) in a 19-year old plantation (P19: less advanced stage of natural regeneration of Atlantic Rainforest species; higher contribution of eucalypt in litterfall) and a 42-year old plantation (P42: more advanced stage of regeneration; higher contribution of native species in litterfall), in rainy season and dry season at ‘União Biological Reserve’, RJ state, Brazil. RS inhibited the abundance of the most taxonomic groups, both in P19 and P42. In general, Diptera, Poduromorpha, Pseudoscorpionida, Symphypleona, and larvae of Coleoptera were the most negatively impacted groups by RS. In contrast, RS favored some other groups, principally Entomobryomorpha and Formicidae. Total richness, evenness and diversity were lower in RS in both plantations. However, this negative effect was stronger in the P19, where RS also decreased total abundance and average richness. The higher canopy closure probable minimized the negative impact of RS on the soil arthropods in P42.