J Dharmaraj
Bharathiar University
Title: Diversity of soil micro arthropods in selected plantations of the Nilgiri plateau, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu
Biography
Biography: J Dharmaraj
Abstract
The present study deals with the leaf litter micro-arthropod diversity and their functions in the selected areas of Niligiris. The study area was divided into four major sites of Wattle, Eucalyptus, and Natural forests soil analysing from (Emerald, Kodapmund, Thalaikundha, Aravankad and Kattapettu). The experiments samples were collected from among the four sites during the period from April 2014 to September 2014. The soil samples were collected and the same has been isolated by using the method of Berlese funnel extraction and the samples were identified based on their morphological character. The study results showed the soil pH, NPK (Main Nutrients) and organic carbon among the study sites. The chemical components of the leaf litters of the plantations decreased the diversity of micro-arthropods and the decomposition rate leads to low amount of carbon in the soil. During the study period, 3 families and 18 species were observed in all the study sites. The micro-arthropod diversity was lesser in Wattle and Eucalyptus plantation when compared with natural forest area. These two fast growing plantations are mostly affecting the soil micro-arthropods, by the means of affecting the soil nutrients and take much of the water from the ground