Biodiversity of Soil Animal Community - A Bioindicator of the Forest Successions in Vietnam

Vu Quang Manh Ph.D, Assoc. Prof., Centre for Biodiversity (CEBRED) c/o Agro-Biology Faculty, Hanoi National Pedagogic University, DHSP Hanoi, Cau Giay, Vietnam, Tel. & Fax: (84-4) 7561050, E-mail: vqmanh@vista.gov.vn

In order to evaluate a relation between a biodiversity of soil animal communities and forest successions in Vietnam, the soil community structures of Mesofauna, Macrofauna and Microarthropoda have been studied in forest ecosystem of Tam Dao National Park, in Vinh Phuc province. According to the forest decline, the soil animal communities have been studied in the following order: 1. Natural forest.  2. Human-impacted forest.  3. Shrub lands.  4. Mixed garden around habitation with annual and polyannual crops.  5. Cultivated land with annual crops and, 6. Tee field.

The results are followings:

1. Biodiversity and community structures of soil Macrofauna, Mesofauna and Microarthropoda are related closely to forest decline, so that they can be used as bioindicators of forest successions, contributing to evaluation of land resource use in Vietnam.

2. Sudden decrease in population densities and biomasses of soil Macrofauna and Mesofauna is a clear bioindicator signalling the human impact on natural forest cover and soil.

3. Change in soil microarthropod community structures (Microarthropoda), including gradually decrease of species diversity of oribatid community (Acari: Oribatei) and gradually increase of species diversity of collembola community (Apterrgota: Collembola) is an important bioindicator signalling the decline of natural forest as well as the increase of human impact on natural environment.

4. Tendency of formation of the diverse relation, including a decrease of biodiversity and an increase of population densities of soil insects, can be seen as a bioindicator related to increase of human impacts on forest ecosystem.

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