Impact of Land Use Patterns on Soil Invertebrate Abundance and Diversity at GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, India

At the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, a study analyzed soil invertebrate macrofauna across four land use types: roadside soil, forest ecosystem, paddy ecosystem, and botanical garden. Sampling involved 12 units across these categories using Berlese-Tullgren funnels. A total of 55 individuals were collected, with ants and spiders found in all land use types, but earthworms and Collembola were absent from paddy ecosystems. Forests showed the highest macrofauna abundance (49.09%), followed by botanical gardens (29.09%). Spiders (45.4%) and Collembola (23.63%) were the most abundant, indicating that natural environments support richer macrofauna communities. Intensive agriculture alters these communities' abundance and diversity.