We examined how the long-term manure application and reduced tillage had exerted influence on the population dynamics of soil mesofauna in the field. Over the cultivation period of corn (Zea mays), we collected soil samples from the four types of field, where managed with the different combination of manure or fertilizer application and conventional or reduced tillage, at regular intervals. Then soil mites and collembola were extracted by using tullugren apparatus. Mites and collembola were classified into several groups mainly on the order or family level, to calculate the density of each group.
Fungivorous species were dominant in every field. Although the reactions of mites and collembola were different among the groups, the density of both mites and collembola were higher in the manure applied plots than in the fertilizer applied as a whole. In particular, in the plot where manure application and reduced tillage combined, the densities of them were higher than other combination plots remarkably.
These results correlate positively with the fungal biomass in each treatment plot apparently. And predatory mites density also correlates positively that of fungivorous species. It is considered that manure application or reduced tillage may support to maintain the population of predatory macrofauna on higher trophic level, by increasing mites and collembolan as their food resources.
