Ecology of Soil Arthropods in Forests of Northeast U.P. (India) : Their vertical distribution in protected and degraded forest ecosystem

The forest soil supports a complex of animal communities of which soil arthropods are of prime importance since they constitute the major component of soil mesofauna and are useful bioindicators of ecosystem health. Considering the important role of soil arthropods in the decomposition process and maintenance of soil fertility in the soil ecosystem, the present study investigate the ecology of soil arthropods in the sal and teak forest ecosystem of Gorakhpur, U.P., India. The book provides more information on distributional pattern of soil arthropods chiefly Acarina and Collembola followed by Symphyla, Diplura, Protura, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera etc. derived from different forest habitats including different depths of soil. Further, it highlights the correlation between various microclimatic conditions with the monthly fluctuations of soil arthropods in both protected and degraded forest ecosystems. We hope this book will be helpful as a base for future investigations in the field of forest ecology, soil ecology, distribution pattern of microarthropods in soil in tropical and subtropical parts of the world.