Experiments were conducted to observe the quantitative distribution of soil micro arthropods from three different ecosystems, viz. agro-ecosystem, forest ecosystem and fallow land of district Jorhat of Assam during 2006–09 through Tullgren Funnel Method (TFM). The maximum population of soil arthropods (18693 m−2) was recorded in 2007–08, followed by 17081.5 m−2 and 6049.2 m−2 in 2008–09 and 2006–07, respectively, reaching a peak population during the months of August (1101, 3959.6 and 2939.4 m−2 during 2006–07, 2007–08 and 2008–09, respectively) and subsequently a declining trend was observed. Maximum numbers of soil arthropods were collected from the forest ecosystem (17884.7 m−2), followed by agro-ecosystem (14236.3 m−2) and fallow land (9720.9 m−2). Compared with forest and agro-ecosystem, the lowest population of soil arthropods was recorded from fallow land. Amidst all the soil arthropods, soil mites were found to be dominant in all the ecosystems and altogether of 6556.1, 7515.1 and 4423.8 m−2 of soil mites were registered during 2006–07, 2007–08 and 2008–09, respectively, followed by the population of collembola (4565.6, 5767.6 and 3184.1 m−2) and other soil arthropods (3114.6, 4602 and 2113 m−2) during 2006–07, 2007–08 and 2008–09, respectively.
Collembola, Ecosystem, Quantitative distribution, Soil arthropods, Soil mite, Tullgren funnel
