Microarthropods and vegetation as biological indicators of soil quality studied in poor sandy sites at former military facilities

Abstract

AbstractBiota play major roles in soil function and are highly sensitive to any disturbances including land degradation. However, it is not fully understood which organisms and what parameters can be useful in assessing soil quality. To fill this research gap we searched for good indicators of changes in environmental quality that could help to assess land degradation. Next to indicators using physical and chemical parameters, biological agents can also provide a lot of information. To obtain such knowledge we compared the soil quality of former military sites, which differed mainly in the texture, nutrients and organic carbon content based on fauna and vegetation indices. Among the fauna indices were Collembola and Acari abundance, Soil Biological Quality index (QBS‐ar), decomposition rate and feeding activity. The Ellenberg index was used as a vegetation indicator, in which the response to pH, nutrients, and moisture was analysed. The experiment was conducted at 2 former military sites in the Czech Republic. Site 2 was characterised by higher nutrient content and a more compact soil structure in comparison to site 1. It was found that almost all fauna and vegetation indices showed better soil quality in site 2. The significant changes were indicated by the Collembola abundance, QBS‐ar index and feeding activity, as well as response to pH considering vegetation indicators. Finally, we conclude the usefulness of biological indicators for monitoring the quality of soil, which can be adopted when making decisions concerning land use.