Pedosphere 7(4): 339--348, 1997
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©1997 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Differentiation of soil fauna populations in conventional tillage and no-tillage red soil ecosystems |
| HU Feng, LI Hui-Xin and WU Shan-Mei |
| Nanjing Agriculturol University, Nanjing 210095 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| In a field experiment, the populations of major soil fauna groups including earthworms, enchytraeids, arthropods and nematodes were examined in conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) red soil ecosystems to evaluate their responses to tillage disturbance. Earthworms, macro- and micro-arthropods were stimulated under NT with earthworms showing the highest population increase by four times, while enchytraeids and nematodes favored CT system, predicting certain adaptability of these animals to plow-disturbed soil environment. On the basis of relative response index it was found that soil fauna was more sensitive to tillage than soil resource base (C and N pools) and microflora. The population structure of soil fauna was also affected by tillage treatments. Analysis on nematode trophic groups showed that bacteria-feeding and plant parasitic nematodes were more abundant in CT soil whereas the proportions of fungivores and omnivore- predators increased in NT soil. Possible reasons for the differentiation in both size and structure of the fauna population were discussed and the ecological significance involved in these changes was emphasized. |
| Key Words: conventional tillage, no-tillage, red soil ecosystems, soil fauna |
| Citation: Hu, F., Li, H. X. and Wu, S. M. 1997. Differentiation of soil fauna populations in conventional tillage and no-tillage red soil ecosystems. Pedosphere. 7(4): 339-348. |
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