POPULATION OF ORIBATEI AND COLLEMBOLA IN PASTURES FOR RECLAMATION OF DEGRADED LANDS IN A SCHIST MINE

The objective of this was to study the population of Oribatei (Acari: Cryptostigmata) and Collembola (Insecta) in pastures for the reclamati on of degraded lands in a schist which is located in Sao Mateus do Sul , PR, Brazil. The nine treatments were carried out with three types of forage plant combinations and with three different fertilizers. The p lant combinations were (a) ''pensacola'' (Paspalum saurae)+ ''trevo-br anco'' (Trifolium repens)+ ''comichao'' (Lotus corniculatus); (b) ''he rmartria'' (Hermarthria altissima)+ ''trevo-branco'' + ''comichao''; ( c) ''aveia-preta'' (Avena strigosa)+ ''ervilhaca-peluda'' (Vicia villo sa) + ''trevo-vesiculoso'' (Trifolium vesiculosum) (winter)/ ''sorgo'' (Sorghum bicolor)+ ''guandu'' (Cajanus cajan) (summer), while the fer tilizers: (a) mineral (NPK) with mulch; (b) mineral and organic (cattl e manure) fertilizers without mulch; (c) mineral fertilizer without mu lch. The results obtained 18 months after the establishment of the exp eriment show that the plant combination and the interaction of the pla nt combination plus fertilizer have no significant effect on the soil fauna. But as for the fertilizer, the populations of Collembola and Ac ari are larger in the treatment with mineral fertilizer plus mulch tha n in the others, while that of Oribatei does not significantly differ at 5% by Duncan test.