Canopy

Ecology

Soil fertility

Tree canopy

Agronomy

Soil water

Biology

Ecosystem

Environmental science

Abundance (ecology)

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Soil macrofauna contribute to key soil functions underpinning soil-mediated ecosystem services. There is limited understanding about the role of trees as 'resource islands' for soil macrofauna in agricultural landscapes and how this interaction is affected by soil degradation status. The study assessed the spatial influence of three dominant trees namely, Croton megalocarpus, Eucalyptus grandis and Zanthoxylum gilletii, on soil macrofauna abundance, along a soil degradation gradient resulting from continuous cultivation for 10, 16 and 62 years. It was hypothesised that spatial variation in soil macrofauna abundance is affected by duration of cultivation, tree species and distance from the tree trunk. Soils cultivated for 10 years showed highest soil nutrient levels. Notably, soil C and N were higher below the canopy of C. megalocarpus (64.6 g kg−1 C; 6.7 g kg−1 N), than E. grandis (58.7 g kg−1 C; 5.9 g kg−1 N) and Z. gilletii (54.5 g kg−1 C; 5.6 g kg−1 N) after 10 years of cultivation. Similar trends were als...

Soil macrofauna abundance under dominant tree species increases along a soil degradation gradient