03101naa a2200145 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000160006024500830007626000090015952024310016870000150259970000200261477303210263413148142008-09-16       2008    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d1 aBATISTA, I.  aSoil fauna communities of coastal tableland ecosystems at northeastern Brazil.  c2008  aThe brazilian coastal tableland ecosystems (CT) have suffered great antropic pressure derived from demographic growth and agricultural activities in the last decades. The CT soils are characterized by its mechanical fragility and the presence of cohesive subsurface layers that restrict the water flow and the roots development in the profile. These constrains impose challenges to the establishment of sustainable agricultural in the CT landscapes. The increasing interest in determining the consequences of the agroecosystems management in soil quality generates the need for improve the knowledge about soil properties and its functions (SCHOENHOLTZ et al., 2000). The invertebrate soil fauna has a very close association with the processes that occur in the decompositon subsystem, interact with microorganisms and shows na intense sensitivity to interferences in the ecosystem. The soil fauna abundance and composition can reflect the soil functioning pattern. In such a way, shifts in species composition and the relative abundance of soil invertebrates have been suggested as a good bioindicator of changes in the ecosystem (LINDEN et al., 1994). The objective of the present work was to characterize the edaphic fauna community that occurs in forests and different crop systems at coastal tableland domain. We also intend to understand the agriculture impact and contribute to establish conservation strategies. This work is part of a research project where other environmental variables are also evaluated. The samplings areas are located at the CT landscapes at the municipalities of Umbaúba (Sergipe state), Coruripe (Alagoas state), Acajutiba, Nova Viçosa and Cruz das Almas (Bahia state). In each municipality, areas of native vegetation and crops were selected to sample soil fauna using ten ?pitfall traps? per area (MOLDENKE, 1994). The invertebrate soil fauna captured was identified at a high taxonomic level, orders in general. The forests located at Coruripe and Acajutiba had the highest values for ecological indices, especially Shannon index, eveness and average groups richness, what did not happen in Umbaúba, Cruz das Almas and Nova Viçosa where it was verified the dominance of some groups. In these municipalities the groups Acari and Entomobryomorpha raised 70% of total individuals number, joined or separated, what characterized these forests as having low diversity of soil fauna community.1 aAQUINO, A.1 aGOMES, J. B. V.  tIn: INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON SOIL ZOOLOGY, 15; INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON APTERYGOTA, 12., 2008, Curitiba. Biodiversity, conservation and sustainabele management of soil animal: abstracts. Colombo: Embrapa Florestas. Editors: George Gardner Brown; Klaus Dieter Sautter; Renato Marques; Amarildo Pasini. 1 CD-ROM.