Arthropods are indispensable because of their role in the food chain and in the recycling of ecosystem resources. The objective of the study was to assess the diversity and abundance of soil arthropods in selected habitats in northwestern Ethiopia. Soil arthropod taxa richness and abundance were estimated using transect sampling from January 2019 to May 2020. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, diversity indices, detrended correspondence analysis, and cluster analysis. A total of 5512 arthropods were found, i.e., 2585 macro- and 2927 micro-arthropods. Fifty-seven percent (3054) were found in the forest, 29% (1670) in the grassland and 14% (788) in the cultivated area. According to the Shannon–Weaver index, species diversity of soil macro-arthropods was higher in the forest and grassland (H′ > 2) habitats than the cultivated ((H′ < 2); Pielou's evenness showed that micro-arthropods were found to be more evenly distributed (J > 0.9) than macro-arthropods (J < 0.9). Macro-arthropods showed more Menhinick species richness (range: 0.37 to 0.63) than micro-arthropods (range: 0.13 to 0.24); Margalef index showed similar pattern. Berger-Parker dominance was higher on micro- (> 0.37) than macroarthropods (< 0.33). Macro-arthropods had higher Chao 1 index (12 to 14) than micro-arthropods (5). Number of soil arthropods varied significantly between habitats and between sampling dates (macro-arthropods: F = 16.5, df = 153,224, P < .0001; micro-arthropods: F = 15.7, df = 54, 80, P < .0001). The detrended correspondence analysis showed relationships between habitats and soil arthropods (e.g., wasps were relatively more associated with the forest habitat), and the cluster analysis grouped the different soil arthropods based on their degree of similarity in abundance (e.g., ants and termites stood out clearly separated). Biomass and soil moisture content was relatively less in March. The present study confirmed that soil arthropods thrived generally more abundantly in undisturbed habitats (forests) than in cultivated and grasslands. This implies the need to step up conservation schemes in more representative sites in this ecosystem.

节肢动物是不可或缺的，因为它们在食物链和生态系统资源循环中的作用。该研究的目的是评估埃塞俄比亚西北部选定栖息地中土壤节肢动物的多样性和丰度。使用 2019 年 1 月至 2020 年 5 月的横断面采样估算了土壤节肢动物类群的丰富度和丰度。使用方差分析、多样性指数、去趋势对应分析和聚类分析对数据进行了分析。共发现节肢动物5512 只，即大型节肢动物2585 只，微型节肢动物2927 只。百分之五十七 (3054) 在森林中，29% (1670) 在草原，14% (788) 在耕地。根据 Shannon-Weaver 指数，森林和草地 (H' > 2) 生境中土壤大型节肢动物的物种多样性高于栽培 ((H' < 2); Pielou 的均匀度表明，发现微型节肢动物 (J > 0.9) 比大型节肢动物 (J < 0.9) 分布更均匀。大型节肢动物比微型节肢动物（范围：0.13 至 0.24）表现出更多的 Menhinick 物种丰富度（范围：0.37 至 0.63）；Margalef 指数显示出类似的模式。微型节肢动物 (> 0.37) 的 Berger-Parker 优势高于大型节肢动物 (< 0.33)。大型节肢动物的 Chao 1 指数（12 至 14）高于微型节肢动物（5）。不同栖息地和采样日期之间的土壤节肢动物数量差异很大（大型节肢动物：Margalef 指数显示出类似的模式。微型节肢动物 (> 0.37) 的 Berger-Parker 优势高于大型节肢动物 (< 0.33)。大型节肢动物的 Chao 1 指数（12 至 14）高于微型节肢动物（5）。不同栖息地和采样日期之间的土壤节肢动物数量差异很大（大型节肢动物：Margalef 指数显示出类似的模式。微型节肢动物 (> 0.37) 的 Berger-Parker 优势高于大型节肢动物 (< 0.33)。大型节肢动物的 Chao 1 指数（12 至 14）高于微型节肢动物（5）。不同栖息地和采样日期之间的土壤节肢动物数量差异很大（大型节肢动物：F  =  16.5, df  =  153,224, P  <  .0001 ; 微型节肢动物：F  =  15.7，df  =  54, 80，P  <  .0001）。去趋势对应分析显示了栖息地与土壤节肢动物之间的关系（例如，黄蜂与森林栖息地的相关性相对更高），聚类分析根据它们在丰度上的相似程度对不同的土壤节肢动物进行分组（例如，蚂蚁和白蚁脱颖而出明显分开）。3 月份生物量和土壤水分含量相对较低。本研究证实，土壤节肢动物通常在未受干扰的栖息地（森林）中比在耕地和草原中更大量地繁衍。这意味着需要在这个生态系统中更具代表性的地点加强保护计划。