ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY OF AGERATUM CONYZOIDES LITTER MESOFAUNA IN DRY AND WET PERIOD IN PALINTANG PLANTATION AREA, BANDUNG DISTRICT, WEST JAVA

• Main Author: Zannuba Arifah, Videla
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/65972
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Global warming is a critical issue not only because it causes an increase in the earth's surface temperature, but also changes in seasonal patterns and extreme weather phenomena. The changes in seasonal patterns also happens in Bandung which is marked by earlier rainy season based on rainfall data from 2014-2021 which assumed affects agricultural sector activities and soil productivity. It also determines the abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna which has a role as decomposers or predators which are the determining factor of soil quality. Mesofauna are soil organisms with a body length around 100 ?m – 2 mm. Therefore, this study will determine the individual abundance and species richness of mesofauna in the dry period (June- August) and wet period (May, September-November) in billygoat-weed litter (Ageratum conyzoides) in Palintang Plantation Area, West Java. In this area, billygoat-weed are commonly found around the plantations. Billygoat-weed litter was collected from the field and dried so it could be divided into 80 bags that placed at 10 location points. Furthermore, 10 litter bags were taken every 28 days and the data of temperature, humidity, and soil pH as well as soil samples for chemical analysis such as C-organic, Total-N, C/N ratio, P2O5, and K2O by Balitsa Lembang were collected. Then, Berlese tullgreen method was used to extracting the sample so that identification process could be done. 364 individuals from 55 taxa were found in the dry period and 993 individuals from 80 taxa were found in the wet period. Individual abundance and species richness were higher in May-July which was supported by higher soil temperature, soil moisture, C-organic, and Total-N with lower levels of P2O5, K2O, and C/N ratio. On May- July, the relative abundance of Oribatida and Collembola which act as decomposers was high and it fits the high reduction of billygoat-weed litter mass. The high abundance of mesofauna in October-November was not in line with species richness. In that months, the abundance was mostly consist of Psocodea which has a role as scavengers so they did not reducing the litter mass.