SURFACE SOIL AND TREE INVERTEBRATE MACROFAUNA OF SOME SALINE MANGROVE WETLANDS IN EASTERN NIGER DELTA, NIGERIAO.M. Udoidiong, F.D. Sikoki and A.O. EkwuAbstract Characterization of the macroinvertebrate and some piscine fauna of three floristically different mangrove wetlands of Eastern Obolo, Nigeria in a two-dimensional perspective of soil and tree fauna formed part of studies carried out between December 2000 and November 2002. A minimum of 15 species was recorded in a Rhizophora dominated swamp, 14 species in a mixed mangrove macrophytes swamp, and 23 species in a Nypa fruticans (an invasive species) dominated swamp. Five species were obtained from the trees in each of the three stations, while the surface soils yielded nine species common to all three stations. Eight species were restricted to the Nypa swamp five of which were non-resident species. Only one of the five phytofaunal species is not commercially exploited, and very few of the surface soil species are commercially exploited. The ecological advantage of conserving these species, edible or non-edible, is discussed.
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