A STUDY ON SOIL INVERTEBRATES IN DIFFERENT TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS OF SIMILIPAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE, MAYURBHANJ, ORISSA

Abstract

Density and biomass of certain soil invertebrates were studied in different ecosystems of Similipal Biosphere
Reserve. The density of soil invertebrates like ants, termites, arachnida, myriapoda, nematodes, earthworms
and larvae was significantly different (ANOVA) among cropland, fallowland and forest ecosystems. Although
the biomass of all these invertebrates was higher in forest ecosystem, it was not statistically significant among
these three types of systems. Ant, termite and myriapoda were absent in cropland whereas arachnida and
myriapoda were absent in fallowland.