ISSN : 2663-2187

PEARSON CORRELATION OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND MACRO-INVERTEBRATES IN JUKHALA VALLEY, BILASPUR DISTRICT, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA

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Sonia Rathour, Jatinder Mohan Julka
» doi: 10.33472/AFJBS.6.11.2024.786-810

Abstract

Himachal Pradesh is predominantly a hilly state nestled in the western Himalayas. Out of total 55,673sq.km geographic area of the state, the forest comprises 37,033sq.km, which is 4.80% of total forests in the country. The primary goals of this research are to assess the impact of climatic and edaphic parameters on the abundance of soil macroinvertebrates. Three sampling stations were selected at Jukhala valley in Bilaspur District during the study period (2019-2021). Three stations, namely(i) Cultivation field(stationI) (ii)MixedForest(stationII) (iii)orchard(stationIII) have been selected for the present studies. In this research, a grand total of 74 soil specimens were gathered from three distinct stations, with three samples procured from each station. These specimens underwent analysis for their physicochemical attributes employing standard laboratory methodologies. Throughout the study duration (2019-2021), there was a consistent positive correlation detected among earthworm density and organic carbon, moisture, as well as rainfall across all monitoring stations. Conversely, there was a negative correlation noted between earthworm density and phosphorus levels at all stations. Temperature, moisture, and rainfall showed a positive correlation with earthworm biomass, but moisture showed a highly significant correlation at station II. Ant density exhibited a positive association with temperature and a negative relationship with moisture at all the stations. At station II, termite density exhibited a notably strong positive correlation with nitrogen and phosphorus, whereas temperature indicated a negative correlation. Across all three stations, centipede density displayed negative correlations with nitrogen, rainfall, and organic carbon. Coleopteran density exhibited negative correlations with nitrogen, potassium, organic carbon, and moisture, and showed positive correlations with pH at all three stations, but organic carbon showed a highly negative correlation at station I. Overall, this research paper enhances our understanding of soil ecosystem dynamics and the vital role of soil macroinvertebrates in maintaining soil health and fertility, providing a foundation for further studies on soil biodiversity and ecosystem management in mountainous regions.

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