Acúmulo de serapilheira e organismos edáficos no Parque Municipal de Maceió, Alagoas

Abstract

Soil litter is composed of the surface layer formed by remaining plant material such as leaves, branches, reproductive structure and miscellaneous (stool, animal remains and others), this material serves as food for macrofauna organisms, which are important indicators of soil quality, as they promote the redistribution of nutrients and organic matter, and the macrofauna consists of organisms visible to the naked eye with a length ≥ 2.0 mm. The objective was to quantify the litter on the ground in a Conservation Unit, in Maceió, Alagoas. The litter accumulated on the soil was quantified bimonthly (Aug/Oct/Dec 2018 and Feb/Apr/June 2019). During the experimental period, 10 samples were collected per area, with the aid of an iron frame with dimensions of 0.5 m x 0.5 m, making an area of 0.25 m2 , thrown at random. All collected material was packed in previously identified plastic bags and then sent to the Laboratory of Ecogeography and Environmental Sustainability-LabESA/IGDEMA/UFAL, for further screening of the material, separating fractions, leaves (leaf and petiole), branches, reproductive structures (flowers and fruits) and miscellaneous (unidentified material). After sorting, the material was transferred to paper bags and dried in an oven with forced air circulation at ± 65 °C, until reaching constant weight, and the dry biomass was quantified. From these data, the monthly and annual averages of litter produced in the three environments were estimated (kg ha-1 ). During the litter screening process, a survey of the edaphic organisms present at the taxonomic group level was carried out. Abundance, richness, diversity (by the Shannon-H index) and uniformity (by the Pielou-e index) were quantified using a magnifying glass and identification key. Area I has a greater amount of litter regardless of the month evaluated; Leaves and branches are the most observed fractions in litter in the three studied environments; The variables of soil water content and soil temperature are significantly correlated with the production of accumulated litter, with no correlation between precipitation and litter accumulation. The most abundant group in accumulated litter is Hymenoptera in the three environments studied, confirmed by the low values of the Shannon and Pielou indices. Intensive inspection is recommended, associated with education campaigns with the local community, aiming to inhibit irregular garbage disposal and the inclusion of exotic plant species in the interior of the Maceió Municipal Park. In order to better understand the litter dynamics in Maceió Municipal Park, it is important to deepen research on litter production and decomposition related to edaphoclimatic variables.