Abstract

RAMIREZ-SUAREZ, Wendy Mercedes; HERNANDEZ-CHAVEZ, Marta Beatriz; ZURITA-RODRIGUEZ, Alexis Abilio  and  NAVARRO-BOULANDIER, Marlen. Performance of the edaphic macrofauna in animal husbandry systems, in a productive entity of the Yaguajay municipality, Cuba. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2018, vol.41, n.4, pp. 259-265. ISSN 2078-8452.

A study was conducted in areas of a basic unit of cooperative production, of the Yaguajay municipality Sancti Spiritus province, Cuba, in order to evaluate the edaphic macrofauna in two animal husbandry systems: natural pastureland and silvopastoral system, on a vertic Gleysol soil. The soil was sampled during two years in the rainy and dry seasons, in the litter and at the depths 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm, according to the methodology of the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility International Research Program. The macrofauna was identified to the taxonomic category of order. In both seasons and systems three phyla, seven classes and 11 orders were found. A total of 1 207 individuals were collected; from them, 840 corresponded to the silvopastoral system and 367 to the pastureland. In both systems coleopterans prevailed (36 and 37 % for the pastureland and the silvopastoral system, respectively), followed by Oligochaeta (21 and 17 %, respectively). A higher density of individuals was obtained in the silvopastoral system. It is concluded that the taxonomic composition of the edaphic macrofauna was similar in the evaluated systems, with differences regarding the diversity of the orders. The highest quantity and density of individuals were obtained in the silvopastoral system. The effect of depth on the macrofauna composition and the distribution of the collected individuals, as well as the preference for the shallowest layer of the soil, was proven.

Keywords : biota; natural pastureland; silvopastoral system.

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