Estructura de la mesofauna edáfica y su relación con la calidad del suelo en la comunidad Ganshi, parroquia El Altar, cantón Penipe

Abstract

In Ganshi community, agricultural intensification threatens soil quality, affecting the biodiversity and stability of the edaphic mesofauna. The loss of biodiversity due to natural and anthropogenic actions causes changes in the composition and abundance of the mesofauna, directly or indirectly impacting the quality of the soil, so what was done was to evaluate the structure of the edaphic mesofauna as a bioindicator of soil quality of eucalyptus and fruit trees plantation in Ganshi community. The methodology included sampling in specific areas of each crop, physical-chemical analysis, and characterization of the mesofauna using taxonomy and Berlese-Tullgren funnels. Diversity indices were calculated, and a statistical canonical correlation analysis was applied to visualize the relationships between soil properties and the abundance of edaphic organisms. The results show significant differences in the composition and abundance of the mesofauna between the crops studied, with the avocado crop soil being the area with the greatest diversity. It is concluded that this study provides valuable information on how soil mesofauna is related to physical and chemical properties in specific plantations and crops, underlining the importance of understanding these relationships for the sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems. Keywords: