Community Composition of Soil Insects and Their Response to Soil Degradation in Smallholder Farmlands of Anambra State, South East Nigeria

Soil-dwelling insects perform essential ecological functions including decomposition, bioturbation, and regulation of soil-borne pathogens. Soil degradation associated with continuous monoculture, erosion, and excessive agrochemical use threatens these communities in Southeast Nigerian farmlands. This study examines soil insect community composition and its response to varying degrees of soil degradation in smallholder farms in Anambra State. Soil cores will be collected from 45 farms classified into three degradation levels based on organic matter content, bulk density, and erosion indicators. Insects will be extracted using Berlese-Tullgren funnels and identified to family level. Functional group analysis will classify insects as decomposers, predators, or herbivores. Structural equation modeling will test whether soil physicochemical properties mediate the relationship between land management practices and insect community metrics. The study uses a gap-filling empirical design motivated by absence of soil entomology data for Anambra State's degraded farmlands. Results will demonstrate the cumulative ecological costs of soil mismanagement beyond crop yield reduction, with implications for soil conservation policy. Keywords: soil insects, soil degradation, community composition, Anambra State, farmland ecology