SURVEY OF SOIL MICRO-ARTHROPODS IN SELECTED SITES IN OGUN STATE

A survey of the soil fauna of selected farm locations in Ogun State was conducted. The study was carried out at the school farm of the University of Agriculture, Alabata, Abeokuta; the School garden of the Baptist Girls` College, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta; a Farmland at Ewekoro, the Rubber plantation, Ikenne. All sites are in Ogun State. Microarthropods encountered during the survey of the sites considered belong to Class Arachnida, order Acarina, Suborders Oribatida, x = 36.50; Actinedida x = 1.00 and Gamasida; x = 2.25 and class insecta, order Collembola, x = 0.75. The rubber plantation was found to have the highest population of all these Microarthropods x = 24.75 while the school farm of the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta recorded the least population containing species of Suborder Oribatida x = 1.75 only. The school garden of Baptist Girls` College, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta x = 11.75 and the Farmland at the Cement Factory area, Ewekoro x = 3.75. The result of the physico-chemical analysis of the soil conducted indicated the influence of soil properties on the distribution of these microarthropods, also, different farm practices.