The extraction of the giant earthworm alters the soil chemical characteristics and tree composition in the Cerrado

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.5072227074

• Palavras-chave: Extração de minhocas gigantes, distúrbios antropogênicos, Cerrado stricto sensu, distúrbios do solo, plantas do Cerrado

• Keywords: Giant earthworm extraction, anthropogenic disturbances, Cerrado stricto sensu, soil disturbances, Cerrado plants

• Abstract:

  Anthropic disturbances are one of the main causes of loss of biodiversity and alteration in natural ecosystems. By resources exploitation humans alter the environmental conditions of a given location and make it inhospitable for some species. The giant earthworm (Rhinodrilus alatus, Righi) extraction in the Cerrado biome for sale to fishermen generates the revolving of the soil in addition to burning caused by extractors to facilitate the location of these animals. Thus, to evaluate the impacts of this activity on soil characteristics and composition of the Cerrado woody plant species is important to the conservation of this biome. For this we used 12 areas of Cerrado stricto sensu with different intensities of giant earthworm extraction and sampled the soil, tree plants, and the intensity of fire in a plot of 20 x 50 m. Our results showed that in the areas with higher intensity of giant earthworm extraction there is a change in soil chemical composition, mainly due to the increase in aluminum (Al3+) and phosphorus concentrations as well as the increasing in cation exchange capacities (CEC). In addition, the intensity of giant earthworm extraction also influenced the woody species composition, probably due to the influence of Al3+ and CEC on the species composition showed by this work. The intensity of fire was not changed by the extraction of giant earthworm. Thus, we suggest that soil revolving by earthworm extractors generates soil chemical changes that alters the composition of species of the Cerrado stricto sensu.

• Número de páginas: 14