Diversity of bioindicator arthropods in two cultural systems in the Ribatejo region: Monoculture/cultural succession

Abstract

Arthropods represent a large percentage of the soil fauna and, regardless of the functions they perform, they all provide important ecosystem services, which depend on cultural/phytosanitary practices that influence the species present and their interactions. In the present study, the abundance of different taxa of arthropod bioindicators of soil quality were evaluated along 2018-2021 in the Ribatejo region in two sperimental fields with different crop systems: (i) potato and maize rotation (Golegã) and (ii) processing tomato monoculture system (Vila Franca Xira). Sixteen pitfall traps with ethylene glycol were installed for 7 days at each sampling time/site. The captured arthropods were separated into morphotypes and identified. The results revealed that the total number of separate morphotypes was 62, 157, 132 and 117, in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. The field with monoculture revealed, during the 4 years of sampling, an arthropod biodiversity lower than the field with crop rotation. With regard to carabids, in the field with rotation, 9 (2019) and 13 morphotypes (2020) were observed, respectively; and in the field with monoculture only 3 morphotypes (2019) and no carabid (2020) were collected. A trend towards greater biodiversity and more balanced populations was observed with the rotation practice maintenance.