Autori: Fiera C

Editorial: Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira, 44(8), p.868-873, 2009.

Rezumat:

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of pollutants on the abundance and diversity
of Collembola in urban soils. The research was carried out in three parks (Cismigiu, Izvor and Unirea) in
downtown Bucharest, where the intense car traffi c accounts for 70% of the local air pollution. One site in
particular (Cismigiu park) was highly contaminated with Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu at about ten times the background
levels of Pb. Collembola were sampled in 2006 (July, September, November) using the transect method:
2,475 individuals from 34 species of Collembola were collected from 210 samples of soil and litter. Numerical
densities differed signifi cantly between the studied sites.The infl uence of air pollutants on the springtail fauna
was visible at the species richness diversity and soil pollution levels. Species richness was lowest in the most
contaminated site (Cismigiu, 11 species), which presented an increase in springtails abundances, though. Some
species may become resistant to pollution and occur in high numbers of individuals in polluted sites, which
makes them a good bioindicator of pollutants.

Cuvinte cheie: heavy metals, soil contamination, species diversity, urban parks

URL: www.scielo.br/pdf/pab/v44n8/v44n8a10.pdf