Changes in the Structure of Microarthropods Population in Relation to Edaphic Factors in a Managed Ecosystem of Cachar District, North East India

Micro-arthropods are important bio-indicators of soil health and are an integral part of food web in soil ecosystems. The present study elucidates the extent to which the various soil parameters influence the structure of soil microarthropod community. Soil sampling was done on monthly intervals and modified Berlese Tullgren funnel method was applied for the extraction of soil microarthropods. Soil temperature was noted on the study sites while other parameters of soil were analyzed. Results showed that the Collembola was the most dominant microarthropod and the density of microarthropods was recorded highest in July 2016 and lowest in September 2016. Soil organic carbon showed a significant positive correlation while other parameters revealed a weak correlation with the microarthropods density. CCA analyses revealed the occurrence of the different microarthropod groups in correspondence with the various abiotic variables and were discussed based on the microarthropods position in the CCA plot. The relation of the different edaphic variables with the microarthropods indicates that the potential contribution of all these variables should be considered for assessing the different aspects of microarthropods ecology.