INFLUENCE OF ABIOTIC FACTORS ON MESOFAUNA IN GUAVA (Psidium Guajava) ECOSYSTEM IN BENGALURU, KARNATAKA, INDIA

Abiotic factors viz., atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, sunshine hours, rainfall, soil temperature and moisture play a crucial role in the development and sustainability of the soil mesofaunal population. An experiment was carried out in Guava (Psidium guajava L.) ecosystem from October, 2015 to September, 2016. Soil and litter samples were drawn and mesofauna were extracted at fortnightly interval. The results indicated that contribution of abiotic factors on the abundance of Collembola, cryptostigmatids, other Acari, mesostigmatids and other invertebrates of guava litter were 81.3, 81.2, 74.1, 62.5 and 39.4 per cent, respectively. However, the influence of in situ soil moisture on litter cryptostigmatids abundance was 49 per cent. It also indicated with a unit change would lead to an increase of 0.836 units of cryptostigmatids. The influence of in situ soil temperature on litter mesostigmatids abundance was 39.8 per cent. An unit change in in situ soil temperature would lead to decrease in 0.754 units of mesostigmatids. In situ soil moisture on litter other Acari was 21 per cent and a unit change would lead to increase in 1.167 units. In situ soil moisture on the abundance of litter Collembola was up to 54.5 per cent. Further, it also indicated with a unit change in in situ soil moisture would lead to increase in 0.865 units of Collembola. The contribution of abiotic factors on the abundance of other Acari, cryptostigmatids, mesostigmatids, other invertebrates and Collembola of guava soil were 63.9, 61.4, 58.8, 58.3 and 39.2 per cent, respectively. However, the influence of minimum temperature and in situ soil moisture on soil mesostigmatids abundance was 43.2 per cent. However, 0.688 and 0.198 units of reduction in abundance of soil mesostigmatids were noticed due to an unit change in minimum temperature and in situ soil moisture.