Influence of compaction of a forest soil on the soil fauna in a subtropical region: I. Oribatei (Acari, Cryptostigmata) and Collembola (Insecta)

An experiment to observe some changes of composition and population of Oribatei and Collembola was carried out on a Cambicsoil covered with Pinus taeda L. (Pinaceae). This study area is located on the Canguiri Experimental Station Center, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 20km north to Curitiba city, Brazil. The climate of the area is subtropical. The observations resulted in a conclusion that the compaction strongly changes the structure of edaphic mesofauna community as the consequence of the modification of physical properties of soils