Effect of interior-edge-matrix and matrix type on edaphic entomofauna of Brazilian Savannah fragments

• Grant number: 12/10817-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date until: December 01, 2012
• End date until: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Milton Cezar Ribeiro
• Grantee: Kalinka Hiromi Kawamichi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cerrado is one of the biomes that has most suffered from degradation and fragmentation process, because is located in regions of intense urban growing and on the frontier of agribusiness. Is extremely important to understand the effect of different types of matrix on biodiversity, in addition to better understand the edge's effects caused by matrix on different taxonomic groups. The edaphic entomofauna plays important ecosystem roles and is also widely used as a bioindicator of soil quality. However, few studies relate this biological component with the landscape. This study aims to assess whether there is interior-edge-matrix gradient, and effect of different types of anthropic matrix on edaphic entomofauna in landscapes of São Paulo State. The study will be on 15 fragments of Corumbataí River Basin, surrounded by matrix of sugar cane (n = 5), pasture (n = 5) and forestry (n = 5). Four collections samples of soil will be carried out over fragment starting from the edge towards the interior (10 m, 35 m, 60 m and 85 m) and four samples starting on the edge towards the matrix (10 m, 35 m, 60 m and 85m), consisting total of 8 samples in each landscape. The individuals sampled in each landscape will compose sample communities. Three response-variable about sample communities will be assessed: species richness, relative abundance and relative frequency. Using the R Language and considering generalized linear models with the distribution of residuals accepted as normal. It is expected to find differences in composition between the edaphic entomofauna of different types of matrix surrounding savannah remnants, assuming that the Eucalyptus forestry will present better quality of composition in relation to sugar cane and pasture because have greater structural similarity with the fragment of savannah. It is also expected to find gradual difference in composition of the edaphic entomofauna considering distances towards fragment into the matrix. Lastly, it is expected difference between composition of edaphic entomofauna of savannah remnants and edaphic entomofauna of surrounding matrix. The results obtained will allow better understanding how entomofauna responds to landscape, increasing its potential use as bioindicators and assisting on the process of definition of guidelines to conservation and recovery of biodiversity in fragmented areas. (AU)