Local patterns of edaphic mesofauna distribution in the arid Patagonian steppe, Argentina

Mesofauna represents a major component of soil biological community and play a critical role in maintaining soil quality, as well as a range of ecosystem functions. A split-split plot design was performed with the aim of identifying the main predictors (phytogeographical criteria, cover type and environmental variables) of edaphic community structure under the effect of desertification. The study also aimed to examine the spatial and seasonal distribution of mesofauna community according to phytogeographical criteria (shrubland vs grassland) and cover type (bare vs covered soil) in the north-western Patagonian steppe of Argentina. The relationship between edaphic fauna, environmental variables and site location was investigated using redundancy analysis (RDA), while the main predictors of edaphic community were analysed using generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs). A total of 43 taxa of Oribatida were found in 168 samples. GLMM approaches selected cover type due to its higher effect on mesofauna community. In this sense, cover type was more important than phytogeographical criteria and environmental variables as predictor of mesofauna community. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how the distribution of mesofauna community respond in Patagonia steppe.