Mesofauna e macrofauna do solo em ecossistemas brasileiros: uma revisão sistemática no Brasil

Abstract

Soil fauna, composed of macrofauna and mesofauna, plays a fundamental role in ecological processes and acts as an essential bioindicator of soil quality and health. In view of the increasing alteration of Brazilian biomes due to factors such as agricultural expansion, unplanned urbanization, and the use of agrochemicals, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the main impacts affecting soil macrofauna and mesofauna, evaluating their implications for soil biological quality. The methodology followed the PRISMA protocol, with searches conducted in the Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria derived from indicators used during the screening process provided by the databases, the selection resulted in the inclusion of 120 articles in the final dataset. These articles were either open access or accessed through the CAFe platform. The results show that most studies are concentrated in the Southeast and South regions of Brazil, with the Atlantic Forest being the most studied biome on this topic. Regarding faunal classification, there is a predominance of studies focused exclusively on macrofauna, indicating that mesofauna is significantly underrepresented in literature. The main impacts identified are land-use changes, which trigger immediate responses in soil organisms and lead to a drastic reduction in biodiversity, compromising vital ecosystem functions such as soil aeration and nutrient cycling. The review identified that the conservation of macrofauna and mesofauna is negatively affected by environmental impacts resulting from unsustainable land use. A recurring methodological shortcoming was observed in the literature, characterized by the omission of geographic coordinates and the lack of description of the biome or phytophysiognomy in several studies. Additionally, some articles failed to adequately describe their methodology. The absence of these essential descriptors hinders study replicability and the proper assessment of eligibility for synthesis, compromising consistent comparison of results and the robustness of future analyses, as such data constitute fundamental criteria for inclusion and comparative analysis within the scope of systematic reviews.