Abstract
A review of soil nematodes as biological indicators for the assessment of soil health
Highlights
As the human population increases, so does the demand for resources, especially food
Soil quality is related to soil function, while soil health is primarily an ecological characteristic, and is defined as “a living, dynamic system whose functions are mediated by a diversity of living organisms that require management and conservation”[3]
Established soil quality determination considers many parameters, and soil health assessment requires a comprehensive combination of chemical, physical and biological indicators, and both trends and natural attributes can be discerned for soil health[4]
Summary
As the human population increases, so does the demand for resources, especially food. Soil health is “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living system, within ecosystem and land-use boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, maintain the quality of air and water environments, and promote plant, animal, and human health”[1]. The concept of soil health is very similar to soil quality, which is “the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation”[2]. Soil nematodes are widely used to evaluate forests, grasslands and agricultural systems[11]. Both morphological and molecular methods are currently the most commonly used for identification[12]. Soil nematodes have recently been widely used for soil health assessment, aided by developments in analytical and identification methods
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