Abstract: To understand the soil meso-micro faunal diversity in different restoration types of forest ecosystems in West Sichuan, an investigation was conducted on the soil meso-micro fauna in the secondary Betula alba-sinensis forest (BSF), secondary Abies fabric forest (AFF), and Picea asperata plantation (PAP) in Miyaluo forest area in November 2008. A total of 15234 individuals of soil meso-micro fauna were collected, belonging to 3 phyla, 9 classes, 10 orders, 97 families, and 144 groups. The individuals of Nematoda accounted for 71.85% of the total, and those of Collembola, Acarina, and other groups took up 13.16%, 9.49%, and 0.36%, respectively. The group number and the individuals density of the soil fauna in the three forests followed the sequence of BSF > AFF > PAP. The Shannon index was in the order of BSF > AFF = PAP, Margalef index and density-group index were BSF > AFF > PAP, Pielou index was PAP > BSF > AFF, and Simpson index was AFF > BSF = PAP. No significant differences were observed in the individuals density among the three forests (P>0.05), but the Sοrenson index indicated that the taxonomic composition and community structure of soil meso-micro fauna in PAP differed to those in BSF and AFF. The vertical distribution of soil faunal taxa and individuals was more even in BSF than in PAP and AFF. All the results suggested that comparing with P. asperata plantation and secondary A. fabric forest, secondary B. alba-sinensis forest could more effectively improve soil faunal diversity, and promote the restoration of belowground ecological function more quickly.

Key words: Landscape pattern, Landscape indices, Landscape fragmentation, GIS, Farming-pastoral zone