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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. GLY and its main breakdown product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were determined in topsoil (0–10 cm) samples from no-tillage fields and nearby subtropical secondary forests by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detector. In addition, the presence of carbamates, organochlorines, organophosphates and triazines were also screened for. GLY and AMPA were present in all soil samples, reaching values higher than those described for soils so far in the literature. A significant decrease for AMPA was observed only between the secondary forest and the farm's middle slope for site B. GLY and AMPA were observed respectively at peak concentrations of 66.38 and 26.03 mg/kg soil. GLY was strongly associated with forest soil properties, while AMPA associated more with no-tillage soil properties. Soil texture was a significant factor contributing to discrimination of the results as clay and sand contents affect GLY and AMPA retention in soils. This was the first study to report DDT and metabolites in consolidated no-tillage soils in Brazil (a pesticide fully banned since 2009). Based on human risk assessment conducted herein and the potential risk of GLY to local soil communities, this study offers a baseline for future studies on potential adverse effects on soil biota, and mechanistic studies.

Vegetation types alter soil ecosystems by changing soil fauna community activities and soil physical–chemical properties. However, it is unclear how tree species (natural forest, native and exotic tree plantations) promote changes in the soil ecosystem, and if these changes alter functional groups of soil fauna and ecosystem services. To determine the effects of five decades of old-field vegetation on soil ecosystems in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, field sampling of three ecosystems (exotic tree species Pinus elliottii Engelm. plantation, endangered tree species Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze plantation, and a natural ecosystem) were carried out, as well using bait-lamina tests and bioassays with collembolans, earthworms and seeds of Lactuca sativa L. Field sampling evaluated the soil fauna community and soil physical–chemical properties. The bait-lamina test in situ was carried out for 14-days to determine fauna feeding activity, and the bioassays evaluated the reproduction of Folsomia candida , the avoidance of Eisenia andrei , and germination of L. sativa in the soil from each ecosystem. The results are: (1) vegetation type altered the soil fauna community composition; (2) soil fauna feeding was reduced in the plantations compared to the natural ecosystem; (3) a physical barrier was created by recalcitrant litter that compromised fauna community structure and seed bank germination in situ; and, (4) changes in soil physical–chemical properties promoted decomposers.

Bananas and plantains are major commodity/food crops that represent an important habitat for earthworms, although so far, no review is available on earthworm communities associated with banana/plantain crops worldwide. The Vale do Ribeira region is among the largest banana producing areas in Brazil, but little is known of the earthworms living there. Hence, the present study assessed earthworm populations and species in three banana plantations and adjacent Atlantic forest fragments along the Ribeira de Iguape River using standard (hand sorting) methodologies. Furthermore, we review earthworm populations reported in banana/plantain plantations worldwide. Only two species ( Pontoscolex corethrurus , Amynthas gracilis ) belonging to two families (Rhinodrilidae, Megascolecidae) were found in the Ribeira River valley, occurring concurrently. Abundance was low (< 13 indiv. m -2 ) compared with other banana plantations worldwide, that frequently surpassed 100 indiv. m -2 . More than 70 studies reported earthworms from >200 banana plantations in 28 countries, and mean species richness was 2.7 per site, ranging from 1 to 10 species. Exotics predominated in most sites and P. corethrurus was the most prevalent species encountered. Overall, more than 104 species from 10 families were reported, with around 61 native and 43 exotic widespread species, mainly of the Megascolecidae, Lumbricidae and Acanthodrilidae families. Richness was highest in India (27 spp.) and the Canary Islands (25 spp.), but native species dominated only in a few countries and sites, while exotics were prevalent especially in island countries and Brazil. Lower-input practices appear to be important for earthworm communities and banana plantations can have large earthworm populations in some cases, which may be contributing to soil processes and plant production, topics that deserve further attention. However, many important banana-producing countries have not yet been evaluated, so further work is warranted, both in terms of applied ecology and biodiversity.

The present study aims to generate knowledge about the soil fauna, its relation to other explanatory environmental variables, and, besides it, to select edaphic indicators that more contribute to separate the land use systems (LUS). Five different LUS were chosen: conventional tillage with crop rotation (CTCR); no-tillage with crop rotation (NTCR); conventional tillage with crop succession (CTCS); no-tillage with crop succession (NTCS) and minimum tillage with crop succession (MTCS). The samples were made in the counties Chapecó, Xanxerê and Ouro Verde located in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and were considered the true replicates of the LUS. In each site, nine points were sampled in a sampling grid of 3 x 3. At the same points, soil was sampled for the physical, chemical and biological attributes (environmental variables). Pitfall traps were used to evaluate the soil fauna. Data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). The soil fauna presented potential to be used as indictors of soil quality, since some groups proved to be sensible to changes of the environmental variables and to soil management and tillage. The soil management using crop rotation (NTCR and CTCR) presented higher diversity, compared to the systems using crop succession (NTCS, MTCS and NTCS), evidencing the importance of the soil tillage, independent of the season (summer or winter). The variable that better contributed to explain these changes were the chemical variables (potassium, pH, calcium, organic matter, available phosphorus, potential acidity), and biological variables (Shannon diversity index, Collembola, Pielou equitability index and microbial biomass carbon), respectively.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the abundance of soil and surface litter fauna in the western region of Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil, in the following land use systems (LUS): no-tillage crops (NT), integrated crop-livestock (ICL), pasture (PA), Eucalyptus plantation (EP) and native forest fragments (NF). Sampling was done in three counties in the western region of Santa Catarina: Xanxerê, Chapecó and São Miguel do Oeste, in two seasons (winter and summer). The evaluation of soil/litter fauna in each LUS was performed by installing nine \"pitfall traps\" per sampling grid (3 x 3). The counties are true replicas. The soil for the chemical attributes was collected at the same sampling points for soil fauna. Altogether, 17 taxa were identified in the five LUS. The presence of groups of fauna was influenced by the type of soil management used. The LUS NF and EP provide better soil conditions for the development of a higher diversity of soil fauna groups compared to other LUS, which showed varying degrees of human intervention, regardless of the sampling season (winter or summer). However, annual crop systems NT and ICL groups showed greater richness and total abundance when compared to the perennial systems (EP and PA). Principal component analysis is an important tool in the study of biological indicators of sustainability because it allows use of soil attributes (chemical and physical) as explanatory environmental variables, which helps in the interpretation of ecological data.

Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) - one of glyphosate’s main metabolites - has been classified as persistent in soils, raising concern regarding the widespread use of glyphosate in agriculture and forestry. Glyphosate may have negative or neutral effects on soil biota, but no information is available on the toxicity of AMPA to soil invertebrates. Therefore our aim was to study the effect of AMPA on mortality and reproduction of the earthworm species Eisenia andrei using standard soil ecotoxicological methods (ISO). Field-relevant concentrations of AMPA had no significant effects on mortality in acute or chronic assays. Except at the highest concentration tested, a significant biomass loss was observed compared to controls in the chronic assay. The number of juveniles and cocoons increased with higher concentrations of AMPA applied, but their mean weights decreased. This mass loss indicates higher sensitivity of juveniles than adults to AMPA. Our results suggest that earthworms coming from parents grown in contaminated soils may have reduced growth, limiting their beneficial roles in key soil ecosystem functions. Nevertheless, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying the sublethal effects observed here.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between economic indicators of soybean crops ( Glycine max L.) cultivated with Crop-Livestock Integration (CLI) or with grain production in winter, and the chemical, physical and biological attributes of the soil. It was selected ten agricultural sites in Santa Catarina to measure economic results and edaphic attributes, data was submitted to a Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Results indicated that soybean production in the summer and grain production in the winter yielded better economic results compared with summer soybean and CLI in winter. This reflects the higher productivity of the crops (9.1%) and the improved chemical, physical, and biological attributes of the soil (with the exception of organic matter content and macroporosity, which were better under the soybean system with CLI). RESUMO: O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a relação entre resultados econômicos de lavouras de soja ( Glycine maxL.) cultivadas com Integração Lavoura-Pecuária (ILP) ou produção de grãos no inverno e atributos químicos, físicos e biológicos do solo. Foram selecionadas dez propriedades rurais, consideradas referência em Santa Catarina, para a determinação dos resultados econômicos das lavouras de soja e dos atributos edáficos, que foram submetidos à análise de componentes principais (ACP). Os resultados indicam que o sistema de produção de soja no verão e grãos no inverno apresentou melhores resultados econômicos em comparação com o sistema de soja no verão e ILP no inverno. Este resultado decorre da maior produtividade das lavouras (9,1%), devido às melhores condições químicas, físicas e biológicas do solo, com exceção do teor de matéria orgânica e da macroporosidade, que ficaram mais associadas ao sistema soja com ILP.

Several studies have characterized and delimited subterranean ant assemblages. Soil extraction, one of the methods employed to access this fauna, employs the removal of monoliths. One of the most widely used methods for the extraction of soil sampling is called TSBF (developed by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme). This method provides relevant data about the species associated with the soil. In the present study we characterized assemblages of subterranean ants using the TSBF method in different subtropical areas of the Neotropics. We considered two sampling designs in different localities. The first design resulted in 315 TSBF samples obtained from layers at distinct depths. The second design resulted in 270 TSBF samples and 270 epigaeic pitfall trap samples. This material was used to delimit the species that occur exclusively in the subterranean stratum (TSBF) and that are not found on the soil surface. A total of 281 species were recorded. Of these, 57 can be considered subterranean, based on their occurrence in subterranean strata. We also verified that the highest occurrence of ants was in the first 10 cm of soil depth. Due to the importance of using methods that efficiently extract the subterranean ant fauna in studies, we suggest the TSBF method should be used to sample ants or to associate this method with epigaeic pitfall traps to delimit strictly subterranean assemblages in specific community stratification studies. Resumo: Vários estudos têm caracterizado e delimitado assembleias de formigas subterrâneas. A extração de solo, um dos métodos utilizados para amostragem dessa fala, implica na remoção de monólitos. Um dos métodos mais utilizados na extração de monólitos é chamado TSBF (desenvolvido pelo Programa Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility). Esse método fornece dados extremamente relevantes sobre as espécies associadas ao solo. No presente estudo, nós caracterizamos as assembleias de formigas subterrâneas usando o método TSBF em diferentes áreas subtropicais do Neotrópico. Utilizamos dois delineamentos amostrais distintos. O primeiro delineamento resultou em 315 amostras de TSBF obtidas a partir da estratificação do solo. O segundo resultou em 270 amostras de TSBF mais 270 provenientes de armadilhas pitfall epigeicas. Esse material foi utilizado para delimitar espécies que ocorrem exclusivamente no estrato subterrâneo (TSBF) e não são encontradas na superfície do solo. Registramos um total de 281 espécies. Destas, 57 podem ser consideradas subterrâneas (baseado na ocorrência no respectivo estrato). Também verificamos que a maior ocorrência de formigas se deu nos primeiros 10 cm de profundidade. Devido à importância do uso de métodos que coletem eficientemente formigas subterrâneas, sugerimos o uso do método TSBF em estudos de estratificação de comunidades ou sua associação a armadilhas do tipo pitfall epigeica para delimitar assembleias estritamente subterrâneas.

In the aftermath of 2019’ tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth, we assessed ground beetle communities of the Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. The influence of habitat shelters, namely the buffering role of closed microhabitat conditions on Alpha diversity and community trait values during a long period of drought, was evaluated across the main habitat types of the park: miombo forests, mixed forests, transitional forests, and grasslands (open savannas). These habitat types comprised a distance gradient in relation to lake Urema, in the center of GNP. Miombo forests were farther from the lake while grasslands and transitional forests were in the floodplain area. Ground beetle communities were sampled using pitfall traps set up at 25 sites of each habitat type along an environmental gradient of tree canopy cover during the last twenty days of the dry season. Higher species richness of ground beetles was found in closed habitat shelters along the distance gradient to lake Urema. A higher functional diversity was also found along the canopy gradient, with larger sized and wingless species being more abundant in closed habitats than in open areas. This result highlights the crucial role of habitat closedness in the protection of sensitive ground beetles. In particular, the buffer effect of tree canopy and the protection of the understory plants and the litter layer was critical for the survival of hygrophilous species and will be key in conservation strategies to face climate aridification and habitat fragmentation.

RESUMO Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os indicadores de eficiência técnica e econômica da produção de milho, em três variações de manejo em sistema plantio direto (lavoura com apenas adubação mineral - PDM; lavoura com adubação mineral e orgânica - PDO e integração lavoura e pecuária - PDI) e suas relações com os atributos físicos e químicos do solo. O estudo foi realizado em lavouras de sete municípios do Estado de Santa Catarina, determinando-se os custos de produção e os indicadores técnicos e econômicos das culturas. Em cada lavoura selecionada, foram coletadas, em três pontos equidistantes, amostras para avaliações dos atributos químicos e físicos do solo na camada de 0-10 cm. Os dados foram submetidos a análises univariada e multivariada. Os resultados indicaram que o sistema PDM apresenta os maiores custos de produção, enquanto o PDO apresenta os melhores resultados econômicos e de eficiência de produção. Não foram observados efeitos significativos dos diferentes manejos, em sistema plantio direto, sobre os atributos químicos e físicos do solo. Contudo, a análise multivariada possibilitou mostrar, de modo mais amplo, as relações entre as variáveis estudadas e os diferentes manejos, em sistema plantio direto. ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the technical and economic efficiency indicators of the production of corn in three management variations in no-tillage system (tillage, with mineral fertilization - PDM; tillage, with organic fertilizing - PDO; and integrated crop-livestock - PDI) and their relationship with physical and chemical attributes of the soil. The study was conducted in corn crops located in seven cities in the state of Santa Catarina, determining the cost of production and the technical and economic indicators of culture. In each selected crop, composite samples were collected, in three equidistant points, for the evaluation of chemical and physical attributes of the soil at a depth of 0-10 cm. The data were subjected to univariate and multivariate analyses. The results indicate that the PDM system presents the highest production costs, while the PDO offers the best economic results and productive efficiency. No significant effects were observed in the different managements in no-tillage systems on soil chemical and physical attributes. However, multivariate analysis made possible to show, more broadly, relations among the variables studied and different management in no-tillage systems.