STUDIES OF SOME SOILS AND THEIR MESOFAUNA IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

1. Berlese funnels were use for 'the extraction of the organisms. 2. The physical characters of three soil types were compared. 3. Samples of 78.57sq. cm. and volume of 392.8cc . were used for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the fauna . 4. Depth distribution of lallang soil compared with that of forest soil. 5. The biovolume of the animals was found to decrease very much more than the air-filled pore space as depth increased. 6. The common soil fauna encountered belonged to a restricted number of groups of which the Acarina among the Arachnida, Symphyla among the Myriapoda, Collembola, and Formicoidea among the Insecta and Oniscidae among the Crustacea were the most numerous. 7. Notes on the organisms were given with emphasis on their abundance in the different soils .