ILL-EFFECTS OF FYTRAN ON SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION OF ATROPICAL SOIL SPRING TAIL - CYPHODERUS JAVANUS BORNERBhavya L.R. and Sanal Kumar M.G.Abstract Soil collembolans are regarded as ecosystem engineers determining the soil fertility, biological structureand environmental stability. The tiny predominant tropical detritivore soil collembolan Cyphoderusjavanus,was selected as a tool for assessing the potential adverse effects of the fungicide fytran on various lifehistory parameters under laboratory conditions. Findings of the present study revealed that fecundityrates, incubation time, survival success, juvenile hatching and longevity were observed to be declinedsignificantly with fungicidal amount elevation. Anthropogenic interventions in modern agriculture practicespaved the way for the emergence of toxic pesticides, that can reduce the surplus population of soil faunaincluding collembolans and also have the potential to affect the resistance and resilience of the ecosystem. |