Diversity Parameters of the Collembolan Fauna in Space and Time: a Case Study of Coastal Sands of a Tropical Island (Nosy Be, Northwestern Madagascar)

Important parameters of the diversity of Collembola are studied in a sand coastline patch 12 km long of Nosy Be Island, off Madagascar. The total number of species, the number of species revealed per locality and per sand sample, and the abundance of species in the populations were examined. Ten localities were monitored during 16 years. The local faunas are similar, but not identical along the monotonous sand coast. The general diversity of the coastal Collembola is stable from one year to the next. The paper updates the knowledge of Collembola in the coastal sands of Nosy Be and Madagascar.