Distribuição e diversidade dos invertebrados terrestres em floresta de várzea na ilha do Combu, município de Belém, estado do Pará.

Abstract

The fauna of terrestrial invertebrates is represented by a large number of taxa, of which some groups stand out in biomass. Most of these animals are found in the burlap, playing an important role in the process of recycling and retention of nutrients in the soil. Due to the plasticity of invertebrates, the abundance and distribution may vary from one site to another, influenced by factors such as soil, moisture and temperature. Despite advances in entomological studies, little is known about the fauna of humid tropical soils. In the Amazon, in general, and especially in the state of Pará, there are few inventories conducted with invertebrates. Linked to population growth, the great demand for investments in the Amazon contributes to the expansion of the processes that degrade the forest, taking with it part of the biological diversity, even before it is known. The present work aims at surveying the invertebrates that occur in the soil of a floodplain forest in the Amazon estuary. Monthly collections were done from September 2004 to April 2005, at Ilha do Combu, in front of Belém, using pitfall traps as capture method. Among the groups classified so far, Collembola stood out, followed by Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Acarina and Araneida. The final comparison between the results of each collection is being completed, as well as the relationship between the dry and rainy periods, and the diversity of the groups. This work represents the first record of soil invertebrates from Combu Island and will serve as a basis for future research in floodplain areas.