Soni Kumari Tiwari*, Kumari Monika & Ghazal Amaan
University Department of Zoology, Ranchi University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
Received : 04th January, 2024 ; Revised : 08th February, 2024
DOI:-https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14263365
Abstract– Soil is a habitat for number of organisms and play crucial role in various edaphic processes. They play significant role in the stability of the ecosystem. Soil mesofauna functions as bioindicators of soil quality. Management practices such as soil tillage and application of chemicals affect soil characteristics. The soil mesofauna are sensitive to any kind of disturbances of the environment, as they affect its abundance and diversity. In the present study, we took into consideration the impact of tillage on the mesofaunal population at two different sites comprising of Natural Sal forest (Site 1) and Rose Garden (Site 2) of Biodiversity Park, Ranchi. Abiotic factors viz. temperature, moisture, organic carbon content, and N, P, K composition of both sites were also measured. It was found that mesofaunal diversity was higher at Site 1(2.12) as compared to Site 2(1.60). The abiotic factors also affect the distribution pattern of mesofauna. A positive correlation was seen between the population of species and moisture content at both sites, 0.93 and 0.90 respectively. Tillage disrupts the soil structure and microclimate which makes it difficult for mesofauna to survive and reproduce. It leads to a decrease in abundance and diversity. Its effect varies depending on the soil type, and mesofaunal community.
Key words: Mesofauna, tillage, abiotic factors, correlation
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