Litter arthropod communities in a Northeastern Cerrado area of Maranhão state, Brazil

The litter layer of forest ecosystems harbors a diverse community of terrestrial arthropods, which are notable for playing fundamental roles in ecological processes. In this study, our objective was to identify arthropod families and assess the occurrence of seasonality in arthropod communities within the litter environment of three Cerrado phytophysiognomies in Northeast Brazil. The studies were conducted over twelve months in Chapadinha municipality, MA. Arthropods were sampled across three phytophysiognomies: I - Clean Cerrado field, II - Shrubland Cerrado with recent deforestation history, and III - Typical Cerrado. Ninety pitfall traps were deployed, grouped into sets of 30 for each sampled environment along a linear transect of 300 meters. A total of 5.573 arthropods were collected across the three study areas, distributed among 19 orders, one infraorder, and 62 families. The arthropod community exhibited significant differences among the different seasonal periods analyzed. However, there was no significant difference in arthropod composition among the three Cerrado areas sampled. There was greater arthropod diversity during the transition from dry to rainy periods. The Typical Cerrado showed higher arthropod abundance, however, the Clean Cerrado exhibited greater diversity in arthropod composition. Cerrado with recent deforestation history demonstrated the lowest arthropod abundance and diversity. These results demonstrate the importance of seasonality for arthropod communities in different habitats, emphasizing the significance of Cerrado preservation to maintain the composition of arthropods in the soil.