The degradation of soil quality due to anthropogenic causes is globally important, both in terms of ecosystem services and ecological biodiversity. Soil quality reduction is stated to be detrimental for population densities and species diversity of soil invertebrates, including the mesofauna (Acari and Collembola). Within the soil food web, mesofauna occupy several trophic levels and as such facilitate nutrient turnover, fulfilling vital ecosystem functions and services. Understanding soil invertebrate population dynamics not only during degradation, but equally upon ecosystem restoration, is vital to identify possible losses or benefits to healthy ecosystem functioning. Prior to this investigation the Highfield site, Rothamsted Research, had been divided and maintained as grassland, arable cropping or bare fallow for 50 years. The latter resulted in a soil that had low soil organic matter levels, poor structure, low bacterial biomass and virtually no invertebrate population. Investigations into the invertebrate population changes, within both the experimental plots and surrounding land, upon alteration of the existing management strategies was completed over a two year period. Changes to mesofaunal populations were detected across all treatments following conversion. Generally, new fallow and arable management strategies produced low density fluctuating populations affected by the physical disturbance of ploughing and lack of soil organic matter as a basal food resource. Grassland management produced increased species diversity and abundance within a more stable soil food web. Each of the new management strategies developed towards its equivalent management strategy within the control treatments. Although it was apparent that the mesofaunal populations were re-establishing under more favourable environmental conditions, there was no definitive conclusion as to the source of the population increases. An attempt to identify the physical mode of invertebrate movement was completed, utilising a prototype mesocosm to act as a physical barrier, this showed promise for future use in such studies.

Durant ce troisième millénaire d’angoissants problèmes politiques, économiques et de sécurité se posent aux habitants de la planète terre. Leur ampleur et leur gravité, font oublier la perte de la biodiversité et l’amenuisement de ses ressources naturelles face aux activités anthropiques. Il s’avère cependant urgent de s’en préoccuper car la moindre négligence entraînerait des pertes irréparables de la biodiversité. La situation est inquiétante pour les pays sous-développés comme le Tchad et plus particulièrement pour le parc national de Manda et sa périphérie. Des aléas climatiques, des mauvaises pratiques agricoles et la surexploitation des ressources naturelles l’exposent à une succession de crises écologiques depuis le début des années 1980. L’accroissement actuel de la population, le surpâturage, l’instabilité politique, les guerres civiles multiplient les effets pervers et compliquent la gestion de cette biodiversité. [...] / During this third millennium of agonizing political, economic and security faced by the inhabitants of planet earth. Their intensity and gravity do forget the loss of biodiversity and the depletion of its natural resources in front of human activities. There is however urgent attention because the slightest negligence would result in irreparable loss of biodiversity. The situation is worrying for underdeveloped countries like Chad and especially for the Manda National Park and its periphery. Vagaries of the weather, bad agricultural practices and overexploitation of natural resources are exposed to a succession of environmental crises since the early 1980’s. The current population growth, overgrazing, political instability, civil wars perverse multiply and complicate the management of biodiversity. [...]

Resumo: A derrubada da vegetação nativa e o uso do solo para atividades agropecuárias podem causar alterações nos atributos do solo que variam de intensidade, em função do tipo de manejo adotado. É importante o acompanhamento na variação dos atributos do solo no sentido de detectar alterações que venham em detrimento do potencial produtivo, as propriedades biológicas são as que primeiro se alteram, sendo de grande validade na detecção de impactos negativos no solo pelo uso. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar alterações em atributos biológicos, comparando áreas sob vegetação nativa com áreas cultivadas com cana-de-açúcar, milho, pastagem e citros. A partir de um ponto georreferenciado, cada área amostrada foi dividida em três sub áreas com 100 m2 (10 x 10 m), sendo coletadas 20 amostras simples em cada uma delas na profundidade 0-0,20 m, que foram misturadas para formar uma amostra composta. As áreas em estudo incluíram onze Latossolos, seis Argissolos, três Neossolos, dois Nitossolos, um Gleissolo, um Organossolo, um Cambissolo e um Chernossolo, solos estes situados em diferentes municípios do Estado de São Paulo. Nas amostras de solo foram avaliados: carbono e nitrogênio da biomassa microbiana, respiração basal, quociente metabólico (qCO2) e atividade das enzimas amilase, arilsulfatase, celulase, desidrogenase, fosfatase ácida, protease e o potencial de hidrólise do diacetato de fluoresceína (FDA). As atividades de arilsulfatases e desidrogenases foram as que melhor refletiram alterações antrópicas sofridas pelos solos em estudo. A matéria orgânica e a capacidade de troca catiônica foram às propriedades químicas do solo que melhor se correlacionaram com os atributos biológicos e bioquímicos avaliados. / Abstract: The removal of the natural vegetation and the use of the soil for agricultural purposes may cause deep alterations in the soil properties depending on the management applied. It is important periodic evaluations of soil properties in order to detect alterations that can degrade the soil. Among soil properties, soil biological activities are those that first indicate soil modifications. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in soil biological attributes, comparing areas under native forests with areas with the same soils and cultivated with sugarcane or maize. From a georeferenced point, each selected area was divided into three plots with 100 m2 (10 x 10 m), and 20 simple samples were collected in the 0-0.20 m depth, which were mixed to form a composed sample. The studied areas included the eleven different Oxisols, Ultisols six, three Neossolos two Alfisols, an Ultisol, a Organosol a Cambisol and a Chernosol, these soils located in different districts all in São Paulo State. The following soil attributes were evaluated in the soil samples: carbon and nitrogen in the soil microbial biomass, basal respiration, metabolic quotient (qCO2), the activity of the enzymes amylases, arylsulphatase, cellulose, dehydrogenases, phosphatase acid, proteases and the hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA). The activities of arylsulfatase and dehydrogenase were the ones that best reflected changes undergone by anthropogenic soils in the study. Organic matter associated and cation exchange capacity were the soil properties that best correlated with the biological and biochemical attributes evaluated. / Orientador: Wanderley José de Melo / Coorientador: Gabriel Maurício Peruca de Melo / Banca: José Frederico Centurion / Banca: Marcus Vinícius Vieitas Ramos / Mestre