03203naa a2200157 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000160006024501310007626000090020752026370021670000170285370000170287070000250288777301330291214715912009-04-06       2006    bl ---       0--  u    #d1 aBARETTA, D.  aEarthworm populations in atlantic forests with Araucaria Angustifolia in the Campos do Jordão State Park, São Paulo, Brazil.  c2006  aAraucaria angustifolia, also known as the Paraná Pine is an endangered tree species in Brazil. Forests with predominance of this pine have been reduced to around 3% of their original extent, and are mostly restricted to South and Southeastern Brazil. Little is known of the diversity of soil animals inhabiting these forests and their role in soil properties and processes. As part of a larger project on biodiversity in araucaria forests, the present study was therefore set up to evaluate the density, diversity and biomass of earthworms in natural and reforested A. angustifolia forests, impacted or not by fire and identify the most efficient method to collect earthworms in these sites. The study was conducted in the State Park of Campos de Jordão, in Campos de Jordão, São Paulo, Brazil, at approximately 1560m elevation. The four areas studied included: 1) native forest with araucaria in climax, without little anthropogenic disturbance (NF); 2) A. angustifolia reforestation, planted in 1959 (R); 3) A. angustifolia reforestation planted in 1959, but submitted to an intense accidental fire in July 2001 (RF); and 4) native grass pasture (grazed by animals) with native araucarias and submitted to an intense accidental fire in September 2004 (NPF). In each area a 0,3 ha plot was chosen, in which five samples were taken to evaluate earthworm abundance, biomass and diversity. In August 2005, three sampling methods were tested: a) dillute formol (0,5%), b) monoliths of 25 x 25 cm to a depth of 0-30 cm and c) monoliths of 40 x 40 cm to a depth of 0-30 cm. Six earthworm species were found: the native species Glossoscolex sp., Glossoscolex sp1, Glossoscolex sp2, Glossoscolex bondari and Urobenus brasiliensis and the exotic species Amynthas corticis. The density, diversity and the biomass of earthworms were affected by presence of fire and animals (RF and NPF), and by the sample method used. Formol was more efficient for collecting Amynthas corticis, found in much higher abundance and biomass in NF than the other studied areas (using this method). Larger manually sorted samples were more efficient for capturing Glossoscolex spp., prevalent in RF. Total earthworm abundance ranged from 0 to16 individuals per m2 and followed the general decreasing order of importance RF&gtNF&gtR&gtNPF, although the order depended on the collection method employed. For adequate characterization of earthworm abundance and biomass in these forests, both formol and manual sorting should be employed, to guarantee collection of the rapid surface-soil dwelling Amynthas and Urobenus, as well as the endogeic Glossoscolex spp.1 aBROWN, G. G.1 aJAMES, S. W.1 aCARDOSO, E. J. B. N.  tIn: International Symposium on Earthworm Ecology, 8., 2006, Kraków. Abstracts... Kraków: Jagiellonian University, 2006. p. 19.