Role of soil macrofauna in the regulation of carbon dynamics in integrated agricultural systems

• Grant number: 22/14212-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: October 19, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Maurício Roberto Cherubin
• Grantee: Beatriz da Silva Vanolli
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP)
• Associated research grant: 20/15230-5 - Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation - RCG2I, AP.PCPE

Abstract

Mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change has been a major global challenge. The implementation of Integrated Agricultural Production Systems (SIPAs) in Brazil is one of the main strategies for the accumulation of C in the soil. One of the main pillars for understanding the mechanisms by which LPISs act in the sequestration of soil C and GHG emissions is the understanding of the interactions of soil biology in this more diverse system. Soil macrofauna, mainly earthworms, ants and termites, are able to modulate the physical protection of soil organic carbon (SOC) through the formation of macroaggregates, in addition, earthworms convert labile plant compounds into microbial necromass in water reservoirs. stabilized carbon and increase the resilience of the COS. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the role of macrofauna in soil carbon sequestration under integrated systems and to understand the mechanisms used by macrofauna in the stability of biogenic aggregates. The Project will be developed in four locations in Brazil (Caiuá - SP, Rancharia -SP, Naviraí - MS and Ipameri-GO) the areas have sandy soil and a different degree of complexity of the system. The following systems will be evaluated: Pasture, crop-livestock integration system, livestock-forest, crop-livestock-forest and native forest. With this project, it is expected to clarify the importance of macrofauna in carbon sequestration and the benefits of integrated systems in the maintenance of these organisms. This knowledge is crucial to establish management techniques and relate gains linked to the abundance and diversity of macrofauna in various soil processes (e.g., aggregation, water infiltration, C sequestration), which are directly affected by the activity of these organisms.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

VANOLLI, BEATRIZ S.; DE ANDRADE, NARIANE; CANISARES, LUCAS PECCI; FRANCO, ANDRE. L. C.; PEREIRA, ARTHUR P. A.; CHERUBIN, MAURICIO R.. Edaphic mesofauna responses to land use change for sugarcane cultivation: insights from contrasting soil textures. FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, v. 11, p. 14-pg., 2024-01-08. (18/09845-7, 19/16764-6, 22/14212-9, 23/08814-9)

VANOLLI, BEATRIZ DA SILVA; DIAS, HENRIQUE BORIOLO; DA LUZ, FELIPE BONINI; LAMPARELLI, RUBENS AUGUSTO CAMARGO; MAGALHAES, PAULO SERGIO GRAZIANO; CHERUBIN, MAURICIO ROBERTO. Crop-Livestock Integrated Systems Improve Soil Health in Tropical Sandy Soils. AGRONOMY-BASEL, v. 15, n. 2, p. 17-pg., 2025-02-01. (14/50279-4, 17/50205-9, 20/06775-8, 20/15230-5, 22/14212-9, 21/10573-4)