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Forest soils harbour a vast array of organisms that govern the processing of organic matter. Through their trophic interactions, they give rise to carbon flows that sustain soil ecosystem functioning. Understanding how soil food webs shape carbon flows may enhance our knowledge about the role of biodiversity on soil processes. In this work, we assembled trophic networks representing soil food webs of two beech forests during spring and autumn, and compiled mass-balanced models quantifying carbon flows between their components. These models were investigated using network analysis to identify the role of the components on carbon flow, cycling and functional trophic relationships. Moreover, we explored how the structure of carbon exchanges promote efficiency and stability. Results indicate the importance of indirect interactions. Most trophic groups exhibit a diffuse dependency on all the compartments for their carbon requirement although certain groups such as Collembola play the role of hubs in distributing carbon. Indirect interactions often reverse the impacts of direct trophic relationships being antagonistic to the direction of change predicted based on predator–prey interactions. The high incidence of generalist feeding habits increases the redundancy of energy channels thereby making such food webs more resilient against perturbations but at the expense of carbon transfer efficiency. Although differences can be observed across sites and periods, food web structure rather than environmental variability seems to be the main factor responsible for patterns of carbon flows in the two beech forests. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Under the increasing global energy demand, the new European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 encourages combinations of energy production systems compatible with biodiversity conservation; however, in photovoltaic parks, panels shadowing the effects on soil health and biodiversity are still unknown. This study (location: Northern Italy) aimed to evaluate the effect of ground-mounted photovoltaic (GMPV) systems on soil arthropod biodiversity, considering two parks with different vegetation management: site 1—grassland mowed with tractor; site 2—grassland managed with sheep and donkeys. Three conditions were identified in each park: under photovoltaic panel (row), between the panel rows (inter-row), and around the photovoltaic plant (control). The soil pH and organic matter (SOM), soil arthropod community, biodiversity, and soil quality index (e.g., QBS-ar index) were characterised. Differences between the two GMPVs were mainly driven by the SOM content (higher values where grazing animals were present). No differences were observed in site 1, even if a high heterogeneity of results was observed for the soil biodiversity parameters under the panels. In site 2, SOM and pH, as well as arthropods biodiversity and QBS-ar, showed low values in the row. Soil fauna assemblages were also affected by ground-mounted panels, where Acarina, Collembola, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera showed the lowest density in the row. This study suggests that ground-mounted solar panels had significant effects on below-ground soil fauna, and was more marked depending on the system management. Furthermore, the results obtained for the inter-row were similar to the control, suggesting that the area between the panel rows could be considered a good hotspot for soil biodiversity.

PCDD/Fs (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans) and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are ubiquitous persistent pollutants with reduced bioavailability, which bioremediation using soil fauna is still managed to treat. This research set out to: (i) study the suitability of earthworms (Eisenia fetida), alone and associated with plants (Lepidium sativum), for the decontamination of PCDD/F and PCB polluted soils in Brescia-Caffaro (Italy), at total and congener concentration levels; (ii) simulate the action of earthworms in groundwater contamination process and nutrient mobility. Five treatments were set up: (i) uncontaminated soil with E. fetida (NC); (ii) contaminated soil (C); (iii) contaminated soil with E. fetida (CEf); (iv) contaminated soil with L. sativum (CLs); (v) contaminated soil with E. fetida and L. sativum (CEfLs). PCBs and PCDD/Fs in the soil prior to testing were measured. Analysis was repeated in soil treatments and percolating water at the end of the test period (4 months). Dissolved nutrient concentrations were measured in percolated water. PCB and PCDD/F concentrations, initially 259333.33 ± 10867.89 ng/kg and 176 ± 10.69 ngTE/kg, were significantly reduced after 4 months in all treatments. Treatments did not differ in total PCBs concentration (from 160,000 ng/kg to 194,000 ng/kg), but CEfLs congeners concentrations were less environmentally threatening; CEf and CLs resulted in lower PCDD/Fs concentration (79.43 ± 3.34 ngTE/kg and 73.03 ± 4.09 ngTE/kg, respectively). The action of earthworms could enhance contaminants and soluble reactive phosphorous content in percolating water.

In this study we analysed the diversity of vascular plants, soil microorganisms and microarthropods on two serpentine outcrops in the Northern Apennines (Italy). The soils of the two sites are at different stages of evolution, as shown by soil depth and soil organic matter (SOM) content: the first site is a serpentine grassland clearing within sub-montane vegetation, while the second is a serpentinite scree rich in specialised flora only, including rare hyperaccumulator plant species such as Noccaea caerulescens and Alyssum bertolonii. The aboveground biodiversity was analysed via floristic releves. The bacterial diversity was estimated through 16S rDNA profiling of the Ni hyperaccumulator N. caerulescens at the rhizosphere level, which thrives in both sites. Microarthropod communities were characterized by extracting and identifying organisms from the soil. The number of individuals per taxon, Acari/Collembola ratio, biodiversity indices and QBS-ar index were calculated. The two sites showed a clear difference as regards plant community: only three plant species were present in both sites, namely Euphorbia cyparissias, belonging to Euphorbiaceae, Galium spp., belonging to Rubiaceae, and N. caerulescens, belonging to Brassicaeae. Belowground diversity was positively correlated with vegetation cover and SOM content. In particular, among the bacteria colonising the rhizosphere of N. caerulescens (present in both sites), Actinobacteria, which exhibit K-strategist attributes and are more successful in resource-limited, crowded environments, appeared to be more abundant in the site with lower SOM and higher content of Ni. Bacterioidetes, which are specialised in degradation of cellulose, chitin and plant detritus, were instead more abundant in the site with higher SOM. As for soil microarthropod communities, the site with higher concentration and bioavailability of heavy metals and lower SOM showed poorer and less structured community. In conclusion, the data observed with plant, microbial and microarhropod communities identify different micro-habitats, in spite of proximal geographical position and the common metal-rich substrate.

Forests, including their soils, play an important role since they represent a large reservoir of biodiversity. Current studies show that the diversity of soil fauna provides multiple ecosystem functions and services across biomes. However, anthropogenic practices often pose a threat to soil fauna because of changes in land use and soil mismanagement. In these terms, rangelands in the southwest of Spain present several problems of soil degradation related to livestock activity and soil erosion, the intensity of which compromises the soil fauna&rsquo, s functions in the ecosystem. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the response of community metrics and the spatial distribution of soil microarthropods to livestock activity and vegetation in such ecosystems. A photo interpretation analysis of an experimental catchment used as a study area was developed to identify and classify the intensity of livestock pressure. A total of 150 soil samples were collected throughout 2018. Soil biological (CO2 efflux) and physical-chemical parameters (pH, bulk density, organic matter, and water contents), and such meteorological variables as precipitation, temperature, and evapotranspiration were considered as variables affecting the composition of microarthropod communities in terms of taxa diversity, abundances, and their adaptation to soil environment (evaluated by QBS-ar index). Results showed higher abundance of microarthropods and higher adaptation to soil environment outside the influence of trees rather than beneath tree canopies. Moreover, the classification of livestock pressure revealed by the photo interpretation analysis showed low correlations with community structure, as well as with the occurrence of well-adapted microarthropod groups that were found less frequently in areas with evidence of intense livestock activity. Furthermore, abundances and adaptations followed different spatial patterns. Due to future climate changes and increasing anthropogenic pressure, it is necessary to continue the study of soil fauna communities to determine their degree of sensitivity to such changes.

International audience; The SETA group (Agricultural Science and Technology) sent a letter to the Italian Parliament advising them not to adopt a legislative measure that favors organic and biodynamic agriculture compared to the conventional one. Another group of scientists thinks instead that the Italian government should favor organic and biodynamic agriculture and explains its reasons. The current article lists the SETA letter and the point of view of other Italian and international ecologists, economists, pedologists, ecologists, writers and artists, which are tendentially “protectors of nature” but not idealists. Nor are they so much in agreement with each other. Judge for yourself in scrolling through the Discussion chapter. The divergence leads to the “why” it is necessary to switch to organic farming not on the “need” to do so. There are also disappointments about the use of GMOs orthe costs of highly technological agriculture. The situation is such on planet Earth that it is necessary to involve the whole society to get out of it. In addition, politicians are also needed to structure the collective action that only if conceived by the whole society and not by individuals or by non-coordinated organizations can save our species. We are convinced that agriculture and soil are among the fundamental levers of this action.

During the last century, soils have been over-exploited by humans through agriculture and industrial development. The need to assess different aspects of soil degradation has become a priority in the soil protection management. Among several indices developed in the last years, QBS-ar (Soil Biological Quality-arthropod) index joins the biodiversity of soil microarthropods community with the degree of soil vulnerability. Up to now, numerous publications have reported the results of the QBS-ar application. This paper starts a review process for QBS-ar assessment by taking into account its potential in highlighting the relationship between soil quality and different land uses. In order to clarify the relationship between QBS-ar values and land use, we collected 41 published papers that reported of QBS-ar applications. In this framework, another aim of this paper is to make a critical review of the QBS-ar in respect to applications in different environmental contexts, and to obtain critical indication about problem and potential of QBS-ar for monitoring activities. We collected published data on QBS-ar and we individualized eight groupages in relation to soil uses: 1) Agriculture lands (A, several crops, till and no-tillage, organic, conventional), 2) Woods (W, forests, maquis and bushes), 3) Restored (R, plant remediation, restored pit mine, peri -urban uncultivated areas), 4) Natural degradation (ND, soils in natural degraded conditions, e.g. serpentine soils, soil in the brUle), 5) Permanent grasslands, pastures and meadows (G), 6) Orchards (O), 7) Urban parks, residual urban woods, public gardens, botanical gardens, home gardens (UP), 8) Soils involved in human degradation (D). The results confirmed that land use significantly affects QBS-ar values. The overall mean of QBS-ar = 93.7 can be considered a tentative threshold that separates high quality soils and values which are typical for poor soils. In the end, we would like to affirm the validity of this index, which, allows to evaluate the suffering state of soils and its potentiality for an expeditious use to evaluate soil biological quality in recovery areas.

The use of conservation and sustainable practices could restore the abundance and richness of soil organisms in agroecosystems. Fitting in this context, this study aimed to highlight whether and how different soil living communities reacted to the conversion from an integrated to an organic orchard. The metataxonomic approach for fungi and bacteria and the determination of biological forms of diatoms and microarthropods were applied. Soil analyses were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of soil chemical features on four major soil living communities. Our results showed that the different taxa reacted with different speeds to the management changes. Fungi responded quickly to the changes, suggesting that modification in agricultural practices had a greater impact on fungal communities. Bacteria and microarthropods were more affected by abiotic parameters and less by the management. The diatom composition seemed to be affected by seasonality but the highest H’ (Shannon index) value was measured in the organic system. Fungi, but also diatoms, seemed to be promising for monitoring changes in the soil since they were sensitive to both the soil features and the anthropic impact. Our study showed that soil biodiversity could be affected by the conversion to sustainable management practices from the early years of an orchard onwards. Therefore, better ecological orchard management may strengthen soil sustainability and resilience in historically agricultural regions.

Landslides are common in the Northern Apennines (Italy) and their resulting changes in soil structure affect edaphic fauna biodiversity, whose activity has concurrent impacts on soil structural stability and water-holding capacity. The aim of this study was to characterise landslide evolution and assess potential relationships between its hydrogeological features and soil fauna. The landforms of the study area, located in the River Taro valley, were mapped and the hydraulic head fluctuations and groundwater electrical conductivity profiles were measured. The soil arthropod community was studied in seven sites, one subject to earth flow and six to rotational slide, the last ones were divided into the main scarp of the slide, and five sites characterized by different land use: three grassland, a wheat cultivated field and an overgrown area. Soil organic matter (SOM) and pH measurements were performed. Hydrogeological results suggest unexpected rapid percolation of relatively low-salinity waters through the unsaturated zone. Both lower SOM content and arthropod biodiversity were found in earth flow area, while higher values were found in grasslands. Fauna composition appears to be a good indicator of soil degradation processes, linked to the hydraulic features, and contributes to the evaluation of the soil condition in landslide areas for further agricultural purposes.

Soil biodiversity and habitat provisioning is one of the soil functions that agricultural land provides to society. This paper describes assessment of the soil biodiversity function (SB function) as a proof of concept to be used in a decision support tool for agricultural land management. The SB function is defined as ‘the multitude of soil organisms and processes, interacting in an ecosystem, providing society with a rich biodiversity source and contributing to a habitat for aboveground organisms.’ So far, no single measure provides the full overview of the soil biodiversity and how a soil supports a habitat for a biodiverse ecosystem. We have assembled a set of attributes for a proxy-indicator system, based on four ‘integrated attributes’: 1) soil nutrient status, 2) soil biological status, 3) soil structure, and 4) soil hydrological status. These attributes provide information to be used in a model for assessing the capacity of a soil to supply the SB function. A multi-criteria decision model was developed which comprises of 34 attributes providing information to quantify the four integrated attributes and subsequently assess the SB function for grassland and for cropland separately. The model predictions (in terms of low – moderate – high soil biodiversity status) were compared with expert judgements for a collection of 137 grassland soils in the Netherlands and 52 French soils, 29 grasslands and 23 croplands. For both datasets, the results show that the proposed decision model predictions were statistically significantly correlated with the expert judgements. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the soil nutrient status, defined by attributes such as pH and organic carbon content, was the most important integrated attribute in the assessment of the SB function. Further progress in the assessment of the SB function is needed. This can be achieved by better information regarding land use and farm management. In this way we may make a valuable step in our attempts to optimize the multiple soil functions in agricultural landscapes, and hence the multifaceted role of soils to deliver a bundle of ecosystem services for farmers and citizens, and support land management and policy towards a more sustainable society.

Hydrocarbon pollution threatens aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems globally, but soil fauna in oil-polluted soils has been insufficiently studied. In this research, soil hydrocarbon toxicity was investigated in two natural oil seepage soils in Val D&rsquo, Agri (Italy) using two different approaches: (i) toxicological tests with Folsomia candida (Collembola) and Eisenia fetida (Oligochaeta) and (ii) analysis of abundance and composition of micro- and meso-fauna. Soil sampling was done along 20 m-transepts starting from the natural oil seepages. Toxicological testing revealed that no exemplars of F. candida survived, whereas specimens of E. fetida not only survived but also increased in weight in soils with higher PAH concentrations, although no reproduction was observed. Analysis on microfauna showed that Nematoda was the most abundant group, with distance from seepages not affecting its abundance. Arthropoda results showed that Acarina, Collembola and Diptera larvae represented the most abundant taxa. The highest divergence in community composition was found between soils situated near seepages and at 5 m and 10 m distance. Arthropoda taxa numbers, total abundance and Acarina were lower in soils with high PAH concentration, while Diptera larvae were not significantly affected. Earthworms, together with Nematoda and Diptera larvae, could therefore represent ideal candidates in PAH degradation studies.

Conventional farming (CONV) is the norm in European farming, causing adverse effects on some of the five major soil functions, viz. primary productivity, carbon sequestration and regulation, nutrient cycling and provision, water regulation and purification, and habitat for functional and intrinsic biodiversity. Conservation agriculture (CA) is an alternative to enhance soil functions. However, there is no analysis of CA benefits on the five soil functions as most studies addressed individual soil functions. The objective was to compare effects of CA and CONV practices on the five soil functions in four major environmental zones (Atlantic North, Pannonian, Continental and Mediterranean North) in Europe by applying expert scoring based on synthesis of existing literature. In each environmental zone, a team of experts scored the five soil functions due to CA and CONV treatments and median scores indicated the overall effects on five soil functions. Across the environmental zones, CONV had overall negative effects on soil functions with a median score of 0.50 whereas CA had overall positive effects with median score ranging from 0.80 to 0.83. The study proposes the need for field-based investigations, policies and subsidy support to benefit from CA adoption to enhance the five soil functions. Unión Europea 635201 Unión Europea 652615 Unión Europea 689271

Litter decomposition is an ecosystem process that is regulated by a multitude of factors and by their complex interactions. Current decomposition paradigms do not always offer a coherent view of the process because it can be hardly understood without a thorough analysis of interacting factors. Thus, there is a need to further understand the mechanics of litter decay with a comprehensive approach, especially in temperate forest ecosystems where decomposition plays a crucial role in regulating them as source or sink of CO2. Therefore, the aim of this work was to identify the interactions between chemical, biological and soil fauna variables in order to discern driving variables and the changes in their interactions during long-time (1300 days) beech leaf litter decomposition. In order to investigate patterns of variation and co-variation within and between datasets, we used Two-block Partial Least Squares, helping us to interpret the decomposition process with a systemic approach. Our key findings showed that the decomposition process of beech litter in two Mediterranean forests was driven by litter quality at the beginning and in the later stages of decomposition, while edaphic and climatic factors were implied in the central steps, with a dramatic change of scenario around 2.5 years. Simultaneous and interacting changes in chemical variables, extracellular enzyme activities, and soil fauna were shown, with a significant role of lignocellulosic components and enzymes involved in their degradation, Mn residual weight, and abundance of Collembola.

Enzymes play a key-role in organic matter dynamics and strong scientific attention has been given to them lately, especially to their response to climate and substrate chemical composition. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the effects of chemical composition and seasons on extracellular enzyme activities (laccase, peroxidase, cellulase, chitinase, acid phosphomonoesterase, and dehydrogenase) by means of multilevel models within two Italian mountain beech forests. We used chemical variables as the fixed part in the model, season as random variation and layers (decomposition continuum for leaf litter and 0–5, 5–15, 15–30, and 30–40 cm for soil) as nested factors within the two forests. Our results showed that seasonal changes explained a higher amount of variance in enzyme activities compared to substrate chemistry in leaf litter, whereas chemical variation had a stronger impact on soil. Moreover, the effect of seasonality and chemistry was in general larger than the differences between forest sites, soils, and litter layers.

Mining causes significant damage to the environment: the removal of top layers of soil causes loss of structure and functionality, with a subsequent reduction in biodiversity. Soil communities are important for soil formation, they contribute to the improvement of several characteristics of soils and they play key roles in many processes that enhance the success of restoration. Unfortunately, soil fauna are poorly monitored even though they represent a good tool for assessing soil quality. The “La Speranza” quarry in northern Italy was studied from the start of the restoration process in 2008 until 2012. Six sites were selected and monitored annually. Microarthropods were extracted from three replicates of soil drawn from each site, identified to order level and then counted. Both the abundances of taxa and the soil biological indices applied (Shannon diversity index (H’), Pielou's evenness index (J), the Acari to Collembola ratio (A/C) and the QBS-ar index) revealed a good level of soil recovery over the years studied. Furthermore, the edaphic organisms that are generally associated with stable conditions in the soil (e.g. Symphyla, Protura, Chilopoda), appeared in the most recent of the years.

Eco-toxicological or bioassay tests have been intensively discussed as tools for the evaluation of soil quality. Tests using soil organisms, including microarthropods and plants, allow direct estimates to be made of important soil characteristics and functions. In this study we compared the results obtained by two in vitro standard bioassays following ISO or OECD guidelines: (i) the short term-chronic phytotoxicity germination and root elongation test using three different plant species Cucumis sativus L. (Cucurbitaceae), Lepidium sativum L. (Brassicaceae), and Medicago sativa L. (Fabaceae) and (ii) the inhibition of reproduction of Folsomia candida (Collembola) by soil pollutants to investigate the toxicity of a serpentine soil present in the Italian Apennines, rich in heavy metals such as Ni, Cr, and Co. In addition, microarthropod communities were characterised to evaluate the effects of metal contents on the soil fauna in natural conditions. Abundances, Acari/Collembola ratio, biodiversity indices and the QBS-ar index were calculated. Our results demonstrate that the two in vitro tests distinguish differences correlated with metal and organic matter contents in four sub-sites within the serpentinite. Soil fauna characterisation, not previously performed on serpentine soils, revealed differences in the most vulnerable and adapted groups of microarthropods to soil among the four sub-sites: the microarthropod community was found to be rich in term of biodiversity in the sub-site characterised by a lower metal content and a higher organic matter content and vegetation.

Soil amendment with biochar has been proposed as effective in improving agricultural land fertility and carbon sequestration, although the characterisation and certification of biochar quality are still crucial for widespread acceptance for agronomic purposes. We describe here the effects of four biochars (conifer and poplar wood, grape marc, wheat straw) at increasing application rates (0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 % w/w) on both germination and root elongation of Cucumis sativus L., Lepidium sativum L. and Sorghum saccharatum Moench. The tested biochars varied in chemical properties, depending on the type and quality of the initial feedstock batch, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) being high in conifer and wheat straw, Cd in poplar and Cu in grape marc. We demonstrate that electrical conductivity and Cu negatively affected both germination and root elongation at ≥5 % rate biochar, together with Zn at ≥10 % and elevated pH at ≥20 %. In all species, germination was less sensitive than root elongation, strongly decreasing at very high rates of chars from grape marc (>10 %) and wheat straw (>50 %), whereas root length was already affected at 0.5 % of conifer and poplar in cucumber and sorghum, with marked impairment in all chars at >5 %. As a general interpretation, we propose here logarithmic model for robust root phytotoxicity in sorghum, based on biochar Zn content, which explains 66 % of variability over the whole dosage range tested. We conclude that metal contamination is a crucial quality parameter for biochar safety, and that root elongation represents a stable test for assessing phytotoxicity at recommended in-field amendment rates (

High Nature Value Farmland (HNVF) is commonly associated with low intensity agricultural systems. HNVFs cover approximately 32% of the agricultural land in Europe and are of strategic importance for the European Union policy since they are reservoirs of biodiversity and provide several ecosystem services. Carbon sequestration is an important service that can be supplied by HNVFs as addressed in this study. Considering soil carbon content as a proxy for soil carbon storage, we compare HNVFs with soils that undergo more conventional land management (nHNVFs) and study the consequences of diverse land uses and geographic regions as additional explanatory variables. The results of our research show that, at the European level, organic carbon content is higher in HNVF than in nHNVF. However, this difference is strongly affected by the type of land use and the geographic region. Rather than seeing HNVF and nHNVF as two sharply distinct categories, as for carbon storage potential, we provide indications that the interplay between soil type (HNVF or nHNVF), land use and geographic region determines carbon content in soils.

The aim of this study is to assess soil quality in Mediterranean forests of Central Italy, from evergreen to deciduous, with different types of management (coppice vs. high forest vs. secondary old growth) and compaction impacts (machinery vs. recreational). Soil quality was evaluated studying soil microarthropod communities and applying a biological index (QBS-ar) based on the concept that the higher is the soil quality, the higher will be the number of microarthropod groups well adapted to the soil habitat. Our results confirm that hardwood soils are characterised by the highest biodiversity level among terrestrial communities and by a well-structured and mature microarthropod community, which is typical of stable ecosystems (QBS value, >200). While silvicultural practices and forest composition do not seem to influence QBS-ar values or microarthropod community structure, the index is very efficient in detecting soil impacts (soil compaction due to logging activities). Several taxa (Protura, Diplura, Coleoptera adults, Pauropoda, Diplopoda, Symphyla, Chilopoda, Diptera larvae and Opiliones) react negatively to soil compaction and degradation (QBS value

Soil represents one of the most important reservoirs of biodiversity. It reflects ecosystem metabolism since all the bio-geo-chemical processes of the different ecosystem components are combined within it; therefore soil quality fluctuations are considered to be a suitable criterion for evaluating the long-term sustainability of ecosystems. Within the complex structure of soil, biotic and abiotic components interact closely in controlling the organic degradation of matter and the nutrient recycling processes. Soil fauna is an important reservoir of biodiversity and plays an essential role in several soil ecosystem functions; furthermore, it is often used to provide soil quality indicators. Although biodiversity was one of the focal points of the Rio conference, in the 1990s virtually no attention was paid to activities for the conservation of soil communities. However, with the new millennium, the conservation of soil biodiversity has become an important aim in international environmental policies, as highlighted in the EU Soil Thematic Strategy (2006), the Biodiversity Action Plan for Agriculture (EU 2001), the Kiev Resolution on Biodiversity (EU/ECE 2003) and afterwards in the Message from Malahide (EU 2004), that lay down the goals of the 2010 Countdown.

An experimental trial was carried out over three years at Cavacurta (Po valley, Italy) on continuous barley. The soil was a coarse-loamy over sandy, mixed, mesic Fluventic Ustochrept. The experimental design was a split-plot with four replicates; the main factor was the soil management system (conventional tillage, CT, and no-tillage, NT), while the secondary factor was the nitrogen fertilization (N0 = 0, N1 = 50 and N2 = 90 kg N ha-1 year-1). At the end of the third year soil samples were taken in all plots at four depths (0-5, 5-10, 10-15 and 15-20 cm). For these samples, pH, organic matter, total N, available P and cation exchange capacity were determined. On the contrary, water aggregate stability was determined for a single layer (0-20 cm depth), excluding the N1 level of fertilization. The biological indicator, QBS-ar index, was studied only in the layer 0-10 cm. Statistical analysis shows that no-till positively influenced all the indices except for CEC and QBS-ar. N fertilization had significant effects on CEC only; in the upper layer, the value in N2 subplots was of approx. 1 cmol+ kg-1 higher than in N0 and N1 subplots. There was no significant interaction for any of the indices. As regards only the 0-20 cm layer, the most important results are as follows. The organic matter content in NT plots was significantly higher than in CT plots (32.6 vs 29.8 g kg-1), as was the total N (2.11 vs 1.97 g kg-1). No-till also had a very clear effect on the Olsen-P (12.3 vs 9.3 mg kg-1). The most remarkable result was found for the water aggregate stability: for NT plots the value was 246% higher than for CT plots (34.3 vs 9.9%). As regards the microarthropod community, the value of the QBS-ar index was between 90 and 126, a typical range for soil under barley.