Soil macrofauna communities in Brazilian land-use systems.

Background: Soil animal communities include more than 40 higher-order taxa, representing over 23% of all described species. These animals have a wide range of feeding sources and contribute to several important soil functions and ecosystem services. Although many studies have assessed macroinvertebrate communities in Brazil, few of them have been published in journals and even fewer have made the data openly available for consultation and further use.

Earthworm species in different land use systems in the state of Goiás and the Federal District of Brazil.

The state of Goiás and the Federal District together cover an area of about 346 thousand km2, including the diversified Cerrado vegetation, also known as the Brazilian Savanna, a biodiversity hotspot with many endangered and endemic species. Much of the Cerrado has been converted to agriculture, but little is known of its earthworms, and the impacts of land use management and agricultural practices on their density and diversity. In the present paper we review the known earthworm species in Goiás and the Federal District based on historical and museum records, and update information on their distribution and populations in different counties and land use systems with data from recent samplings.

Earthworm species in native and planted forests in Brazil.

Over 150 species of earthworms are known from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, but many more are expected to live in this megadiverse biome. In the present study, we evaluated earthworm species occurrence and diversity in native and reforested areas in four National Forests in three Brazilian states: Três Barras National Forest (Santa Catarina), Irati and Piraí do Sul National Forests (Paraná) and Capão Bonito National Forest (São Paulo) using formalin and hand sorting methods. A total of 13 species were found, five exotic and eight natives (of which four were new, undescribed species), belonging to six genera and five families (Rhinodrilidae, Glossoscolecidae, Ocnerodrilidae, Benhamiidae, Megascolecidae).

Urban green areas as earthworm species maintainers in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

Urban green areas can have a high impact on soil fauna due the environmental changes caused by human activities. This work aimed to assess earthworm populations in urban sites in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Earthworms were sampled in two urban sites: the Campus Ecoville of the Universidade Positivo and the Casa Verde space and in two land use systems (Grass Lawn and Native Vegetation), in the summer of 2018 and 2019 and winter of 2019.

Earthworm communities in long-term no-tillage systems and secondary forest fragments in Paraná, Southern Brazil.

The area destined for agricultural production in Paraná state in Brazil is ~6 million hectares, of which 79% are under no-tillage systems (NTS) that can positively affect earthworm populations. Furthermore, earthworm abundance and richness can be valuable soil quality. This study assessed earthworm communities in long-term no-tillage sites (NTS) and nearby secondary Atlantic Forest (SF) fragments.

Earthworm richness in no-tillage farming systems and riparian forests in Southern and Southeastern Brazil.

No-tillage (NT) is a soil conservation management practice that can sustain important earthworm populations due the maintenance of soil cover and absence of soil disturbance. Sites with NT can also support native earthworm species, but few studies have identified the earthworms collected under NT. Therefore, the present study evaluated earthworm diversity in 14 sites under NT and seven with riparian forest (RF) in Atlantic Forest located in Rolândia, Cambé, Toledo (Paraná), Coxilha, Sarandi (Rio Grande do Sul) and Itaí (São Paulo).

Distribution and diversity of earthworms in different land use systems in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, includes both the Pampa and Atlantic Forest biomes, and covers an area of around 284 thousand km2. Since the last checklist for the state, published in 2012, many additional sites have been sampled. Hence, we provide here a full list of earthworm species and their distribution in different municipalities and land use systems in the state.

Pesticides in a case study on no-tillage farming systems and surrounding forest patches in Brazil.

With the growing global concern on pesticide management, the relationship between its environmental recalcitrance, food security and human health has never been more relevant. Pesticides residues are known to cause significant environmental contamination. Here, we present a case study on long-term no-tillage farming systems in Brazil, where Glyphosate (GLY) has been applied for more than 35 years.

Earthworm species in various land use systems in the Campos Gerais region of Lapa, Paraná, Brazil.

The Campos Gerais region of Paraná are on an ancient plateau of sandstone origin and are covered with a diverse vegetation including mainly grasslands and various types of Atlantic Forest (particularly Araucaria forest). The region represents an important natural capital for biodiversity conservation as well as for agricultural and forestry production. However, little is known of the species richness and diversity of soil macroinvertebrates in this region.