Forest Ecology and Biodiversity

This study demonstrates that quantitative changes in diversity and density of soil fauna communities occur when various land use systems are subjected to varying levels of intensification. These changes appear to be associated with management practices such as use of agrochemicals consequent destruction of nesting habitats modification of soil microclimate within habitats removal of substrate low diversity and availability of food sources for the associated macrofauna groups. The significant correlations between some soil macrofauna groups with selected soil chemical properties shows that soil chemical characteristics may indirectly play a role in influencing the density distribution and structure of macrofauna communities.