Resumen

LIMACHI, Miguel et al. Effect of a complexity gradient of cocoa crops on the diversity, composition and abundance of litterdegrading mesofauna in a long-term trial in the locality of Sara Ana, La Paz, Bolivia. Ecología en Bolivia [online]. 2024, vol.59, n.1, pp.4-19.  Epub 31-Abr-2024. ISSN 1605-2528.

Leaf litter represents an important source of organic matter that favors the presence of edaphic fauna as a source of energy and nutrients. In a long-term trial comparing cocoa farming systems, which contrasts cocoa production in monocultures and agroforestry systems with organic and conventional management, it was evaluated how these systems affect the diversity, composition and abundance of the leaf litter degrading mesofauna, using decomposition bags with cocoa leaves and mixed leaves, over twelve months. Ten groups (nine orders and one class) of mesofauna were recorded, of which the most abundant were oribatid mites (80.0% of individuals) followed by gastropods (6.8%), dipterans (3.4%), isopods (3.2%), among others. The cultivation system with the lowest abundance was conventional monoculture, and diversity varied only between seasons, with the dry season being more diverse than the wet and transition seasons. On the other hand, the composition of the mesofauna assemblage varied between crop systems as well as between seasons. In this study, we found no influence of different cocoa systems on the richness and diversity of mesofauna. We recommend to include macrofauna in the future, and to extend the study to the organic and rhizosphere layers.

Palabras clave : Agroforestry; Agricultural production systems; Alto Beni; Leaf litter; Soil fauna.

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