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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil invertebrate communities represent a significant fraction of global biodiversity and play crucial roles in ecosystems. A number of human activities threaten soil communities, in particular intensive agricultural practices such as pesticide use. However, there is currently no quantitative synthesis of the impacts of pesticides on soil fauna communities.Here, using a meta‐analysis of 54 studies and 294 observations, we quantify pesticide effects on the abundance, biomass, richness and diversity of natural soil fauna communities across a wide range of environmental contexts. We also identify scenarios with the most detrimental effects on soil fauna communities by analysing the effects of different pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, broad‐spectrum substances and multiple substances), different application rates and temporal extents (short‐ or long‐term), as well as the response of different functional groups of soil animals (body size categories, presence of exoskeleton).Pesticides overall decreased the abundance and diversity of soil fauna communities across studies (Grand mean effect size (Hedge's g) = −0.30 +/− 0.16) and had stronger effects on soil fauna diversity than abundance. The most detrimental scenarios involved multiple substances, broad‐spectrum substances and insecticides, which significantly decreased soil fauna diversity even at recommended rates. We found no evidence that pesticide effects dampen over time, as short‐term and long‐term studies exhibited similar mean effect sizes.Policy implications: Our study highlights that pesticide use has significant detrimental non‐target effects on soil biodiversity, eroding a substantial part of global biodiversity and threatening ecosystem health. This provides crucial evidence supporting recent policies, such as the European Green Deal, that aim to reduce pesticide use in agriculture to conserve biodiversity. The detrimental effects of multiple substances revealed here are particularly concerning because realistic pesticide use often combines several substances targeting different pests and diseases over the crop season. We suggest that future guidelines for pesticide registration, restrictions and banning should rely on data able to fully capture the long‐term consequences of multiple substances for multiple non‐target species in realistic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of natural grasslands to cultivated pastures can have a significant impact on the composition and structure of soil macro‐ and mesofauna groups, compromising the resilience of these organisms and the ecosystem services they provide. We studied the responses of these groups to increasing levels of soil disturbance across a gradient of four land management practices: Natural grassland (NG), Improved‐natural grassland (IG), Perennial‐cultivated pasture (PP), and Annual‐cultivated pasture (AP). The NG area had a higher abundance of macrofauna, greater dominance of certain groups, particularly Isoptera, and a lower abundance of mesofauna. On the other hand, the IG area had a higher abundance and diversity of macro‐ and mesofauna, with a lower dominance of specific groups. The PP area had a higher abundance of Coleoptera, Oligochaeta, and Hemiptera, whereas the AP area, despite soil disturbance, showed a higher abundance of mesofauna, particularly mites, Collembola, and Enchytraeidae, but lower diversity. Different grassland management practices have significantly altered the composition and structure of macro‐ and mesofauna groups, resulting in high dissimilarity between communities. We recommend IG as a more productive and sustainable alternative to the total replacement of natural vegetation (NG) with intensified converted pastures (PP and AP), as it maintains soil fauna diversity and ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Environmental Authority (IBAMA) has recently identified soil organisms as a priority area for risk assessment development for plant protection products. This includes consideration of which species in soil fauna are important to be tested for risk assessment purposes, which ecotoxicological tests should be used, and which exposure models would be suitable, considering Brazilian soils, local agricultural practices, and local biodiversity. In this brief communication, we present proposals and recommendations for the selection of appropriate regulatory exposure assessment techniques to support initial or foundation tier assessment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:862–869. © 2022 FMC Corporation, Syngenta, Adama, Bayer AG, BASF SE. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Key Points: Based on this review, it is recommended that the UK HSE PECsoil spreadsheet be used as entry tier exposure assessments based on transparency, simplicity, and ease of use.It is further proposed that the additional kinetics and pathway features in the ESCAPE model offer a form of kinetic refinement that allows greater flexibility and addresses constraints in the UK HSE tool.A series of criteria recommendations is presented for regulatory modeling to ensure version control consistency, simulation reproducibility, and process simulation transparency.The principles presented in this article help guide the potential selection, design, or adaptation and review of customized higher tier regulatory modeling techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of compounds that persist in the environment globally. Besides being transported to the soil and sediments, which act as their sinks, PFASs can be transferred to several species of higher organisms directly or via bacteria, eliciting a wide range of adverse effects. Caenorhabditis elegans has been widely used in toxicological studies and life science research owing to its numerous advantages over traditional vertebrate models; notably, C. elegans has 65% conserved human-disease-associated genes and does not require ethical approvals for experimental use. This review covers a range of topics, from reported accumulation characteristics and lethal concentrations of PFAS in C. elegans to the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of PFAS at different levels, including reproductive, developmental, cellular, neurologic, oxidative, metabolic, immune, and endocrine toxicities. Additionally, the toxicity levels of some PFAS substitutes are summarized. Lastly, we discuss the toxicological mechanisms of these PFAS substitutes and the importance and promising potential of nematodes as in vivo models for life science research, epidemiological studies (obesity, aging, and Alzheimer's disease research), and toxicological investigations of PFASs and other emerging pollutants compared with other soil animals or model organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slugs are a major pest in arable agriculture that are typically controlled by using pesticide‐impregnated pellets (molluscicides). We received multiple requests from farmers in 2018 for research into the impact of slug pellets on earthworms because they had been told that ferric‐based pellets were 'worm‐friendly'. We measured soil fauna feeding activities within Lumbricus terrestris middens on a replicated field plot experiment comparing the recommended product rates of a metaldehyde (4%) based or ferric phosphate EDDS (3%) based slug pellets. There was a significant decrease in feeding activity in the presence of either type of slug pellet, particularly in the top 25 mm of the soil indicating movement away from the pesticide. This could be explained by the significantly lower abundance (numbers and biomass) of earthworms in the topsoil. Four months after ferric phosphate‐based slug pellet application, there was no significant difference between the control and treated plots in earthworm abundance, indicating the effects were temporary. In the laboratory, individual Lumbricus terrestris earthworms consumed up to 4 slug pellets over 14 days and no significant differences in biomass were measured. A burrowing fitness assay indicated that earthworms exposed to ferric phosphate‐based slug pellets burrowed to a greater depth. This suggests an avoidance behaviour response, which could also explain the field results. A consultation with farmers (n = 68) rated this information service as useful and indicated widespread interest in minimizing the effects of pesticides on non‐target soil fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the plant community controls the quality and quantity of resources available to soil invertebrates, the soil invertebrates regulate plant growth and plant community composition. Soil invertebrates can modify plant traits, this effect cascading up to higher trophic levels, potentially thus determining changes in ecosystem functions. Thus, considering the special importance of this relationship between plants and soil invertebrates, our work aims to identify the various methods that support the study of this relationship. Although following the critical analysis of the literature, multiple methods were identified that highlight the interactions between underground and aboveground communities, we cannot claim that the study is exhaustive, which is caused by the immense number of works in the field. This aspect can only pave the way for new works and experiments to fill the knowledge gaps in this thematic area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enrichment of calcareous soils with phosphogypsum and poultry manure amendments could increase nutrient availability, improve calcareous chemical characteristics, and enhance barley plant growth. In the current study, phosphogypsum (PG) and poultry manure (PM) were used to determine the effects of PG and PM application on soil fauna diversity, soil fertility, and barley yield. The pot experiment treatments were: C: control; PG1: 4.20 g kg−1 soil; PG2: 6.30 g kg−1 soil; PM1: 4.20 g kg−1 soil; PM: 6.30 g kg−1 soil, and their combinations. The results indicated that the application of PM alone or combined with PG had significant effects on the microbial biomass carbon (MBC), organic matter (OM), soil NPK availability, and yield of barley. Collembola and Prostigmata accounted for 50.0 and 43.3%, respectively, of the total number of soil fauna. Shannon and evenness indices increased significantly in the soil amended with PM alone or combined with PG. Amended soil with PG and/or PM significantly increased the yield and yield components of plants compared to the control. The PM1PG2 treatment increased the yield by 76.2% above the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Understanding the underlying mechanisms of biodiversity elevation patterns is a crucial issue in biogeography research. Of these mechanisms, soil fauna is closely related to above-ground vegetation, but our understanding of the patterns of elevational diversity that drive soil fauna in different plant habitats remains limited. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the diversity and community structure of soil oribatid mites and driving factors in four vegetation zones (MCBF, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests; MCF, mixed coniferous forests; BF, birch forests; AT, alpine tundra) and three habitats (tree, shrub, and herb) within each vegetation zone in the Changbai Mountains, northeastern China, from July to August 2021. Results: Overall, the community composition and diversity indices of oribatid mites varied considerably with different vegetation zones in the Changbai Mountains. Results showed that oribatid mite community composition differed significantly between tree, shrub, and herb habitats in MCBF and MCF, whereas in BF and AT, oribatid mite community composition did not differ among habitats. The abundance of oribatid mites showed a hump-shaped distribution pattern in different vegetation zones, and both Shannon and richness indices decreased with increasing elevation. However, there was no significant difference in oribatid mite diversity indices among different habitats. Furthermore, the β-diversity of the overall oribatid mite community did not differ between the four vegetation zones, and the Sorensen dissimilarity index (βsor) was a major component of β-diversity in the different habitat types. Our study suggests that the combined effects of regional and local factors accounted for the largest variance of oribatid mite community composition among tree, shrub, herb, and total habitats, with soil pH being the most principal factor influencing oribatid mite diversity. Conclusions: Taken together, we conclude that the combined effect of elevation and local habitat characteristics on soil oribatid mite assemblage changes with increasing altitude. Such information contributes to understand the influence of above-ground vegetation shifts on below-ground communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Soil fauna is one of the major drivers of plant litter decomposition. This study aims to assess how soil fauna density and diversity may affect litter decomposition. Also, we assessed whether faunal communities inside the litterbags that are used to control the access of faunal groups or communities in ambient soils are better for predicting their effects on litter decomposition, given that soil fauna frequently move into and out of such litterbags. Methods: To answer this question, we synthesized 5336 observations extracted from 46 publications to assess the effects of soil fauna communities, their density and diversity on the rate of litter decomposition (k) and litter mass loss. Results: Results showed that (1) the presence of soil fauna significantly increased k by an average of 33.0% and that the effects were mainly controlled by initial litter concentrations of phosphorus and magnesium, (2) the density and diversity of soil fauna in litterbags significantly affected k and/or mass loss, but ambient communities had limited effects, and (3) the effects of soil fauna in litterbags on k were most significant during the early stages of decomposition (0 − 30% mass loss). Conclusions: Our study clearly showed that litterbag communities were better for predicting the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition, and that their effects were most significant during the early stages of decomposition. These results improve our ability to estimate the contribution of soil fauna in liter decomposition and the associated carbon and nutrient cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationships between certain plant species and soil fauna assemblages in severe climatic conditions require scientific attention due to reported climatic changes. We investigated density, diversity, and community structure of soil mites (Mesostigmata) in tree biogroups of Betula pendula, Picea abies, and Pinus sylvestris with microhabitats represented by Calluna vulgaris, Dicranum scoparium, Vaccinium myrtillus, and Vaccinium vitis‐idaea plant patches and accumulated litter in humid and cold rock crevices a few meters deep. We analyzed the effects of climatic (light availability, precipitation, temperature) and environmental (litter pH, organic matter thickness, microhabitat type) conditions on mite communities based on 1080 samples collected during two vegetation periods (2004–2005). Results revealed that litter pH was shaped by microhabitat type (plant patches and rock crevices) whereas organic matter thickness depended on tree species and microhabitat type. Also, light availability differed between tree biogroups and microhabitats. This study documented that Mesostigmata abundance was shaped by maximum daily temperature while species richness was also affected by total monthly precipitation, tree species (P. sylvestris) and microhabitat (rock crevices). Results revealed that mite density ranged from 3001 ± 213 ind./m2 in the P. abies biogroup to 3310 ± 350 ind./m2 in P. sylvestris. On the microhabitat level, mite density ranged from 2571 ± 170 ind./m2 in V. myrtillus patches to 4137 ± 463 ind./m2 in rock crevices. Total number of recorded species was highest in rock crevices (41 species), and lowest in C. vulgaris (19). In conclusion, results indicated that climatic conditions modulate mite communities on an isolated rocky island. This study documented that maximum daily temperature during the vegetation period affected Mesostigmata abundance, whereas species richness and diversity were also shaped by total monthly precipitation and tree species (P. sylvestris). In addition, the community was also affected by litter acidity, organic matter and tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular and irrational use of insecticides have adverse effects on the fauna below and above the ground surface. In environmental monitoring studies and toxicity assays, earthworms are an ideal biological model. The survival, growth and reproductive parameters are considered as indicators of effect of insecticide toxicity upon the organism. The present study compared the imidacloprid affects on the reproductive performance and genotoxicity in Eudrilus eugeniae and Metaphire posthuma. The LC50 value was calculated by exposing earthworms to different concentrations of imidacloprid (1.00, 2.50, 4.00, 5.50 and 7.00 mg/kg dry soil). The LC50 value calculated was 3.19 mg/kg and 2.23 mg/kg for earthworm E. eugeniae and M. posthuma, respectively. In artificial test soil, E. eugeniae and M. posthuma were exposed to doses 0.3, 0.6 and 1.0 mg/kg to evaluate reproductive potential along with genotoxicity studies as per OECD guidelines. Mortality due to morphological alterations was 3.33% and 10% for E. eugeniae and M. posthuma respectively in 1.0 mg/kg dose. Cocoon production and hatchling success decreased from lower (0.3 mg/kg) to higher dose (0.6 and 1.0 mg/kg) and was nil in 1.0 mg/kg. Comet assay revealed a high DNA damage in both the earthworm species which increased significantly (p < 0.05) in dose (0.6 and 1.0 mg/kg). These laboratory studies revealed that the effects of imidacloprid are species specific as well as dose and duration-dependent. M. posthuma is more susceptible as compared to E. eugeniae leading to loss of soil fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Montado is an agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystem characteristic of the south of Portugal, which is called Dehesa in Spain. Due to the interactions between its fundamental components—soil, pasture, trees, and animals—it is considered a highly complex ecosystem. Therefore, there are no scientific works published in which these interactions are evaluated simultaneously. This review paves the way for carrying out work that integrates the four fundamental components, with the greatest need to study the effects of grazing animals on soil, pasture, and trees. Montado is an agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystem characteristic of the south of Portugal and called Dehesa in Spain. Its four fundamental components—soil, pasture, trees, and animals—as well as the climate make Montado a highly complex ecosystem. This review article provides an overview of the state of the art of Montado from the point of view of the agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystem and the scientific work carried out in this context. Thus, the aim is: (i) to describe and characterize the Montado ecosystem, as an agro-silvo-pastoral system; (ii) to reveal experimental tests carried out, technologies used or with the potential to be used in the monitoring of Montado; (iii) to address other technologies, carried out in similar and different agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystems from south Portugal. This review consists of three chapters: (a) components of Montado and their interactions; (b) advanced technologies for monitoring Montado; (c) grazing systems. No review article is known to provide an overview of Montado. Thus, it is essential to carry out research on grazing and its effects on the soil and pasture in the Montado ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogenetically closely related plant species often share similar trait states (phylogenetic signal), but local assembly may favor dissimilar relatives and thereby decouple the diversity of a trait from the diversity of phylogenetic lineages. Associated fauna might either benefit from plant trait diversity, because it provides them complementary resources, or suffer from it due to dilution of preferred resources. We hence hypothesize that decoupling of trait and phylogenetic diversity weakens the relationship between the plant-trait diversity and the abundance and diversity of associated fauna. Studying permanent meadows, we tested for combined effects of plant phylogenetic diversity and diversity of two functional traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content) on major groups of soil fauna (earthworms, mites, springtails, nematodes). We found that only in phylogenetically uniform plant communities, was uniformity in the functional traits associated with (i) high abundance in springtails, and (ii) high abundance of the sub-group that feeds more directly on plant material (in springtails and mites) or those that are more prone to disturbance (in nematodes), and (iii) high diversity in all three groups tested (springtails, earthworms, nematodes). Our results suggest that soil fauna profits from the resource concentration in local plant communities that are uniform in both functional traits and phylogenetic lineages. Soil fauna would hence benefit from co-occurrence of closely related plants that have conserved the same trait values, rather than of distantly related plants that have converged in traits. This might result in faster decomposition and a positive feedback between trait conservatism and ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Niche theory fundamentally contributed to the understanding of animal diversity. However, in soil, the diversity of animals seems enigmatic since the soil is a rather homogeneous habitat, and soil animals are often generalist feeders. A new approach to understand soil animal diversity is the use of ecological stoichiometry. The elemental composition of animals may explain their occurrence, distribution, and density. This approach has been used before in soil macrofauna, but this study is the first to investigate soil mesofauna. Using inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES), we analyzed the concentration of a wide range of elements (Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Zn) in 15 soil mite taxa (Oribatida, Mesostigmata) from the litter of two different forest types (beech, spruce) in Central Europe (Germany). Additionally, the concentration of carbon and nitrogen, and their stable isotope ratios (15N/14N, 13C/12C), reflecting their trophic niche, were measured. We hypothesized that (1) stoichiometry differs between mite taxa, (2) stoichiometry of mite taxa occurring in both forest types is not different, and (3) element composition is correlated to trophic level as indicated by 15N/14N ratios. The results showed that stoichiometric niches of soil mite taxa differed considerably indicating that elemental composition is an important niche dimension of soil animal taxa. Further, stoichiometric niches of the studied taxa did not differ significantly between the two forest types. Calcium was negatively correlated with trophic level indicating that taxa incorporating calcium carbonate in their cuticle for defense occupy lower trophic positions in the food web. Furthermore, a positive correlation of phosphorus with trophic level indicated that taxa higher in the food web have higher energetic demand. Overall, the results indicate that ecological stoichiometry of soil animals is a promising tool for understanding their diversity and functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) that persist and bioaccumulate in the environment have aroused people's great concern. Here, we studied the adverse effects of FQs in soil animals of Caenorhabditis elegans via food-chronically exposure. The result shows C. elegans exposed to FQs exhibited reproductive toxicity with small-brood size and low-egg hatchability. To study the underlying mechanism, we conduct a deep investigation of enrofloxacin (ENR), one of the most frequently detected FQs, on nematodes which is one of commonly used animal indicator of soil sustainability. The concentration-effect curves simulated by the Hill model showed that the half effect concentrations (EC 50) of ENR were (494.3 ± 272.9) µmol/kg and (107.4 ± 30.9) µmol/kg for the brood size and the hatchability, respectively. Differential gene expression between the control and the ENR-exposure group enriched with the oxidative stress and cell apoptosis pathways. The results together with the enzyme activity in oxidative stress and the cell corpses suggested that ENR-induced reproductive toxicity was related to germ cell apoptosis under oxidative stress. The risk quotients of some soil and livestock samples were calculated based on the threshold value of EC 10 for the egg hatchability (2.65 µmol/kg). The results indicated that there was possible reproductive toxicity on the nematodes in certain agricultural soils for the FQs. This study suggested that chronic exposure to FQs at certain levels in environment would induce reproductive toxicity to the nematodes and might reduce the soil sustainability, alarming the environment risks of antibiotics abuse. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is a kind of solid material with large specific surface area, porosity and high carbon content. In recent years, as a new type of environmental material, biochar draws the attention of the public. However, due to the influence of various factors such as raw material types and preparation technology, the effects of biochar application on soil ecosystem are complex and diverse. In this paper, the physical and chemical characteristics of biochar prepared from different raw materials were summarized, and the effects of biochar on plants, animals and microorganisms in soil ecosystem were discussed. Finally, the prospect of the research on the soil ecological effect of biochar was put forward, so as to provide the reference for the positive regulation of soil ecosystem by biochar and the rational application of biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Belowground life relies on plant litter, while its linkage to living roots had long been understudied, and remains unknown in the tropics. Here, we analysed the response of 30 soil animal groups to root trenching and litter removal in rainforest and plantations in Sumatra, and found that roots are similarly important to soil fauna as litter. Trenching effects were stronger in soil than in litter, with an overall decrease in animal abundance in rainforest by 42% and in plantations by 30%. Litter removal little affected animals in soil, but decreased the total abundance by 60% in rainforest and rubber plantations but not in oil palm plantations. Litter and root effects on animal group abundances were explained by body size or vertical distribution. Our study quantifies principle carbon pathways in soil food webs under tropical land use, providing the basis for mechanistic modelling and ecosystem‐friendly management of tropical soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The soil food web is essential for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. The application of naphthalene is a commonly employed experimental treatment for expelling soil fauna to examine faunal effects on litter decomposition processes, for which is it assumed that naphthalene has negligible effects on soil microbial communities. An experiment was conducted to examine the potential soil-fauna-repellent effect of naphthalene application (100 g/m2/month, TR) on a soil fungal community during litter decomposition. The results showed that TR greatly suppressed the abundance and taxonomic richness of soil fauna by 83.7 ± 14.2% and 48.1 ± 17.2%, respectively, and reduced the rates of poplar leaf litter decomposition compared to the control (CK, without naphthalene treatment). Among the fungal communities, the abundance of Thelephorales in the TR soil was suppressed, while the abundance of Capnodiales was stimulated, although TR did not significantly alter the carbon and nitrogen content in the soil microbial biomass nor the diversity of soil fungal communities and the most abundant fungal phylum. Thus, both the suppressed soil arthropod abundance and altered soil fungal community might contribute to the observed slowdown in litter decomposition. These results suggest that naphthalene, as a soil fauna repellent, can alter the abundance of specific taxa in a soil fungal community, thereby impeding the effort to elucidate the contribution of soil fauna to ecosystem functioning (e.g., with respect to litter decomposition). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processes of matter and energy metabolism in forest ecosystems are largely dependent on the activity of the complex of invertebrates associated with litter and soil. To quantify the effect of forest harvesting on soil fauna, we used a meta-analysis to examine a database of 720 responses to harvesting collected from 52 publications from boreal and temperate forests. Overall, forest harvesting was found to decrease the abundance of soil fauna while not affecting its richness. However, the reaction of soil fauna to forest harvesting differed significantly among the taxonomic groups, with negative, neutral, and positive effects observed. We found that the negative effect of forest harvesting on soil fauna increased with decreasing body size. In addition, the type of forest and harvesting practice played important roles in driving the responses of soil biota to forest harvesting. The abundance of Nematoda, Oribatida, and Enchytraeidae recovered to control values occurring approximately 10 years after harvesting. Despite the limitations of the dataset, the results obtained from our meta-analysis expand our understanding of the reaction of soil fauna to forest harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity surveys of Arctic soil ecosystems are limited. Here, we provide a sequence-based inventory of soil fauna from an Arctic tundra ecosystem near the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Invertebrate communities were extracted at a vegetated and non-vegetated site in three replicates and inventoried using 18S metabarcode sequencing. A total of 361 amplicon sequence variants (ASV) were identified and assigned to the closest matching taxonomic orders, most of which belonged to the Nematoda and Arthropoda. Vegetated soils showed no significantly higher ASV richness relative to non-vegetated soils although they contained a significantly higher diversity of arthropod taxa including insects, mites, and springtails. Most taxa were found only at a single location and even samples from the same site displayed distinct communities, suggesting that belowground species richness in Arctic tundra habitats is highly heterogeneous. Preserving soil biodiversity in a changing Arctic is essential for Inuit communities who rely on intact tundra ecosystems for their health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Robinia pseudoacacia is the main non-native tree species that has been widely planted in the Loess Plateau (LP) for revegetation. Most studies focused on its effects on soil and plant properties, but few works investigated biodiversity, especially soil fauna. Methods: We investigated soil fauna in areas where R. pseudoacacia was planted 10, 20, 30, and 50 years ago and grassland areas in LP. Results: Results showed that afforestation can significantly increase the soil fauna groups of the litter layer which does not further increase with forest age. However, the number of soil fauna groups, especially the dominant groups (mites and springtails), was not significantly affected by afforestation. After afforestation, soil fauna abundance first increased and then decreased, with a maximum value observed 20 years post-planting. The average abundance of soil fauna in the soil layer of the R. pseudoacacia was 22, 292 individuals m–2, which was 4.91 times more than in the litter layer. However, the number of soil fauna groups in the soil layer (10) was significantly lower than that in the litter layer (17). Litter thickness and soil total nitrogen contributed the most and explained 34.7% and 29.5% of soil fauna communities in the litter and soil layers, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the change of soil fauna community in the litter layer by afforestation was greater than that in soil layer. However, the effect of forest age on soil fauna was only weak. Afforestation-induced changes in soil and vegetation properties (e.g. stand density, litter thickness, and soil total nitrogen) were crucial determinants of the changes in soil fauna community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is a complex environment resulting from the interaction between plant cultivated and soil fauna. In this work, we investigated the relationship between the chemical components of plant roots and the biodiversity of soil fauna. The effect of root exudates of three different vegetable crops (cucumber, okra and eggplant) on the activity density of soil fauna was compared. The experiment was carried out at Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. Soil arthropod samples were weekly taken from the aforementioned crops using the pitfall trap method. Also, the chemical composition of dry plant roots was examined. The following remarks are summarizing the obtained results: 1) total chemical composition of dry plant root material from okra was higher than cucumber and eggplant. 2) the total number of soil fauna collected from okra was (3799 indiv. /10 traps) decreased to (3312 &2220 /10 traps) in cucumber and eggplant, respectively. 3) These results show that root type and its chemical composition may affect the increase or decrease of soil fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragments of woodland represent important natural and semi-natural elements that contribute to ecological stability and biodiversity in a landscape. In the Czech Republic, they are part of the Territorial System of Ecological Stability (TSES), which consists of bio-centers, bio-corridors, and interaction elements. The presence of fragments of woodland is of growing importance in the agricultural landscape, where they provide effective protection against soil erosion and serve as a refuge for many animals, whose presence is crucial in maintaining essential ecosystem functions. A functioning ecosystem is especially important in intensively farmed landscapes, which are exposed to frequent and heavy disturbance. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of certain habitat characteristics of fragments of woodland on the activity-density and species richness of selected groups of soil invertebrates (ground beetles, spiders, harvestmen, centipedes, millipedes, and isopods). The research was conducted in the agricultural landscape of South Moravia (Czech Republic) in the summers of 2016–2017, for which we used pitfall traps to collect soil invertebrates on preselected fragments of woodland. The results highlight a wide range of habitat preferences of individual groups of invertebrates, wherein it is not possible to clearly determine the most favorable environmental conditions for all organisms. Consequently, the priority should be to maintain the highest possible degree of heterogeneity among natural and semi-natural features, including with respect to their surrounding landscape. In addition, we found that due to their small size and width, fragments of woodland that are not included in the concept of bio-centers and bio-corridors can similarly support the activity-density and diversity of soil fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Soil fauna, a functionally important group of soil organisms, are greatly affected by fertilization. However, it is still debated whether and how fertilization affects the soil faunal community. Here, we aimed to synthesize the global patterns of soil fauna communities in response to fertilization in terrestrial ecosystems. Location: Global. Time period: 1997–2021. Major taxa studied: Soil fauna. Methods: We examined the effects of fertilization on the abundance, number of groups and Shannon diversity of soil fauna by synthesizing 1218 observations based on 39 published studies. We also explored the associations between fertilization‐induced changes in the soil faunal community and changes in soil and microbial properties. Results: Fertilization increased the abundance of soil fauna by 56.3%, without significantly affecting the number of groups and the Shannon index. The type of fertilizer affected the responses of soil faunal abundance, and the effects of fertilizer type were altered by climate zones, ecosystem types and soil depths. Both organic and organic–mineral fertilizer treatments significantly increased the abundance of soil fauna in most climate zones, ecosystem types and soil depths, whereas mineral fertilizer treatment had no such effect. Additionally, we found inconsistent responses of soil fauna to fertilization among different taxonomic groups, not only at the order level but also at the class level, providing evidence for the idiosyncratic nature of the effects of fertilization on soil fauna. Furthermore, our regression analysis showed that changes in food resources, including soil nutrients and microbes, were crucial controls for the response of soil faunal abundance to fertilization. Main conclusions Fertilization generally increased soil faunal abundance at the global scale by affecting food resources, and the effects of fertilization were dependent on the specific soil fauna and type of fertilizer. We suggest the use of organic or organic–mineral fertilizers, rather than mineral fertilizers, to increase the benefits on specific soil fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas is the property of Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Plant litter constitutes the dominant resource to soil food webs, which gradually decompose litter and transform it into soil organic matter. A central paradigm of this transformation posits that differences in quality between distinct litter types disappear during decomposition, as litter types converge towards similar physicochemical characteristics. Yet, this paradigm is debated and not based on clear metrics. It is also largely derived from microbial decomposition studies, while the effect of litter‐feeding soil animals, by transforming large quantities of litter into faeces, remains poorly documented. We addressed this knowledge gap by quantifying the variability in physicochemical characteristics amongst leaf litter of six tree species of contrasting quality, before and after conversion into faeces by six soil animal species. We found that litter conversion into faeces by diverse soil animals largely reduced the variability in physical and chemical characteristics between contrasting litter types. We also evaluated the consequences of this animal‐driven convergence on further microbial‐driven convergence during decomposition, by decomposing intact litter and soil animal faeces and comparing the chemical characteristics of decomposed materials. Chemical variability amongst uningested litter and amongst soil animal faeces converged at similar rates. This indicates that animal‐ and microbial‐driven convergence are additive, and that soil animals precipitate organic matter quality convergence during decomposition. We propose here a new framework and an associated metric to study changes in organic matter quality variability during decomposition, which we argue are essential for an improved understanding and modelling of litter decomposition and soil organic matter formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A batch of nematophagous fungi (NF), isolated from soil and animal faeces at Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, was identified through morphological methods and molecular tools. Additionally, the fungi were biologically characterised through their in vitro predatory capability against the free-living nematode Panagrellus redivivus. Molecular identification of nine isolates was achieved by amplifying the 18S, 5.8S and 28S regions using ITS5 and ITS4 oligonucleotides, followed by sequencing and aligning through BLAST. Only species of Arthrobotrys genus: A. oligospora, A. conoides, A. arthrobotryoides and A. musiformis were found. The in vitro bioassay revealed a large variability in the predatory capabilities of the different isolates. The isolate Z1-1-2 of A. arthrobotryoides showed the highest nematode reduction (NR) from 822.8 (± 169.5) to only 51.4 (± 35.2) = 93.7% NR; in contrast A. oligospora (isolate Z3-2-2) showed the lowest NR from 548.5 (± 66.6) to 234.2 (± 123.6) = 57.2% Genotyping analysis corroborated the morphological identification. The comparison of sequences with the NCBI sequences showed a close phylogenetic relationship. A phylogenetic tree was generated to compare its phylogenetic relationship with other strains reported in the NCBI. The NF isolated could be potential candidates for future studies on the biological control of nematodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firewood extraction by mule forwarding is still common in oak coppices in Central and Southern Italy. This is due to the scarce presence of aerial extraction systems such as cable yarders. Considering the importance of forest soil for all ecosystem services, the evaluation of the disturbance that a given extraction system has on the forest soil is a fundamental aspect in the framework of sustainable forest management. Therefore, this study was developed to assess the disturbance caused to the physicochemical and biological features of soil and to coppice after mule logging according to the standards of silvicultural treatment, as well as the recovery time needed after the logging intervention. Four cutting blocks located in Central Italy represented the study area, one cutting block represented the unharvested control, while the others were logged 3 years (CB-2019), 8 years (CB-2014) and 10 years (CB-2012) prior to the field surveys. In each harvested cutting block the soil was subdivided into disturbed soil (DIST—mule trails) and low disturbance soil (LD—area within the harvested cutting block not affected by mule passage). This experimental design assessed the disturbance caused by logging operations by mules (DIST soil) and the silvicultural treatment (LD soil) to soil physicochemical (bulk density, penetration resistance, shear resistance, and soil organic matter) and biological properties (soil microarthropod community evaluated with the QBS-ar index). The results revealed a significant disturbance in the mule trails for all the investigated variables. The disturbance was particularly strong for the QBS-ar index, with values which were lower than half of those of the control area. Furthermore, no recovery process was evident even after 10 years from the logging interventions. Instead, values of the various parameters became worse with time after harvesting. On the other hand, no marked disturbance was revealed in LD soil, except for a significant decrease in soil organic matter. Although this is a preliminary evaluation that needs to be confirmed with further study, this trial suggested that mule logging cannot be considered a fully low-impact approach to forest operations and that studies with a longer time span after harvesting are needed to assess the recovery process in the mule trails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Soil fauna plays a crucial role in contributing to litter breakdown, accelerating the decomposition rate and enhancing the biogeochemical cycle in terrestrial ecosystems. Comprehending the specific fauna role of functional species in litter decomposition is challenging due to their vast numbers and diversity. Climate and litter quality are widely acknowledged as dominant drives of litter decomposition across large spatial scales. However, the pattern of climate and litter quality modulates the effect of soil fauna on litter decomposition remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, we conducted an extensive analysis using data from 81 studies to investigate how climate and litter traits affects soil fauna in the decomposition. Data description: The paper describes fauna body size, climate zones (tropical, subtropical and temperate), ecosystem types (forest, grassland, wetland and farmland), soil types (sand, loam and clay), decomposed duration (< 180, 180–360, > 360 days), litter initial traits, average annual temperature and precipitation. The litter traits encompass various parameters such as concentrations of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, lignin, cellulose, total phenol, condensed tannin, hydrolysable tannin and other nutrient traits. These comprehensive datasets provide valuable insights into the role of soil fauna on the decomposition at global scale. Furthermore, the data will give researchers keys to assess how climate, litter quality and soil fauna interact to determine decomposition rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Niche theory fundamentally contributed to the understanding of animal diversity. However, in soil, the diversity of animals seems enigmatic since the soil is a rather homogeneous habitat, and soil animals are often generalist feeders. A new approach to understand soil animal diversity is the use of ecological stoichiometry. The elemental composition of animals may explain their occurrence, distribution, and density. This approach has been used before in soil macrofauna, but this study is the first to investigate soil mesofauna. Using inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES), we analyzed the concentration of a wide range of elements (Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Zn) in 15 soil mite taxa (Oribatida, Mesostigmata) from the litter of two different forest types (beech, spruce) in Central Europe (Germany). Additionally, the concentration of carbon and nitrogen, and their stable isotope ratios (15N/14N, 13C/12C), reflecting their trophic niche, were measured. We hypothesized that (1) stoichiometry differs between mite taxa, (2) stoichiometry of mite taxa occurring in both forest types is not different, and (3) element composition is correlated to trophic level as indicated by 15N/14N ratios. The results showed that stoichiometric niches of soil mite taxa differed considerably indicating that elemental composition is an important niche dimension of soil animal taxa. Further, stoichiometric niches of the studied taxa did not differ significantly between the two forest types. Calcium was negatively correlated with trophic level indicating that taxa incorporating calcium carbonate in their cuticle for defense occupy lower trophic positions in the food web. Furthermore, a positive correlation of phosphorus with trophic level indicated that taxa higher in the food web have higher energetic demand. Overall, the results indicate that ecological stoichiometry of soil animals is a promising tool for understanding their diversity and functioning.

The relationship between species' body masses and densities is strongly conserved around a three‐quarter power law when pooling data across communities. However, studies of local within‐community relationships have revealed major deviations from this general pattern, which has profound implications for their stability and functioning. Despite multiple contributions of soil communities to people, there is limited knowledge on the drivers of body mass–abundance relationships in these communities. We compiled a dataset comprising 155 soil–animal communities across four countries (Canada, Germany, Indonesia, USA), all sampled using the same methodology. We tested if variation in local climatic and edaphic conditions drives differences in local body mass–abundance scaling relationships. We found substantial variation in the slopes of this power‐law relationship across local communities. Structural equation modeling showed that soil temperature and water content have a positive and negative net effect, respectively, on soil communities. These effects are mediated by changes in local edaphic conditions (soil pH and carbon content) and the body‐mass range of the communities. These results highlight ways in which alterations of soil climatic and edaphic conditions interactively impact the distribution of abundance between populations of small and large animals. These quantitative mechanistic relationships facilitate our understanding of how global changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature and precipitation, will affect community–abundance distributions and thus the stability and functioning of soil–animal communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vegetation and brown forest soil have been studied in different types of forests of the southern and northern macroslopes of the Main Caucasian Range. Special attention was paid to soil fauna (earthworms) and microbial and enzymatic activity. The main components of forest biogeocenoses (plant communities, earthworms, and microbial and enzymatic activity of the soil) have been analyzed and compared at the southern and northern macroslopes of the Main Caucasian Range, located in the Caucasian Nature Reserve and natural monuments "Guam Gorge" and "Massif of Colchis Boxwood." The plant diversity of various types of Colchis forests on the southern and northern macroslopes has been assessed. The similarity of the structure of plant communities, the population of earthworms, their species richness, and the most important indicators of the biological activity of the soil of the southern and northern macroslopes are presented. The indicators of the biological activity of brown forest soil and the diversity of vegetation and the abundance of earthworms correlate closely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological stoichiometry theory provides a framework to understand organism fitness and population dynamics based on stoichiometric mismatch between organisms and their resources. Recent studies have revealed that different soil animals occupy distinct multidimensional stoichiometric niches (MSNs), which likely determine their specific stoichiometric mismatches and population responses facing resource changes. The goals of the present study are to examine how long‐term forest plantations affect multidimensional elemental contents of litter and detritivores and the population size of detritivores that occupy distinct MSNs.We evaluated the contents of 10 elements of two detritivore taxa (lumbricid earthworms and julid millipedes) and their litter resources, quantified their MSNs and the multidimensional stoichiometric mismatches, and examined how such mismatch patterns influence the density and total biomass of detritivores across three forest types spanning from natural forests (oak forest) to plantations (pine and larch forests).Sixty‐year pine plantations changed the multidimensional elemental contents of litter, but did not influence the elemental contents of the two detritivore taxa. Earthworms and millipedes exhibited distinct patterns of MSNs and stoichiometric mismatches, but they both experienced severer stoichiometric mismatches in pine plantations than in oak forests and larch plantations. Such stoichiometric mismatches led to lower density and biomass of both earthworms and millipedes in pine plantations. In other words, under conditions of low litter quality and severe stoichiometric mismatches in pine plantations, detritivores maintained their body elemental contents but decreased their population biomass.Our study illustrates the success in using the multidimensional stoichiometric framework to understand the impact of forest plantations on animal population dynamics, which may serve as a useful tool in addressing ecosystem responses to global environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how biodiversity responds to fine-scale heterogeneity improves our ability to predict larger-scale diversity patterns and informs local-scale conservation practices. This information is important in the design of conservation set-asides in commercial forestry landscapes in the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot, in South Africa. We assessed how soil arthropod assemblages vary among biotopes with varying degrees of contrast in forestry landscape mosaics in this hotspot. The biotopes included dry and hydromorphic grasslands, indigenous forests and pine plantations. Assemblages were highly segregated among all biotopes for overall arthropods, and for all the feeding guilds, namely predators, herbivores, detritivores, and omnivores. There was a high degree of assemblage dissimilarity between structurally contrasting biotopes (grasslands vs. wooded biotopes) and biotopes that differ in their degree of transformation (natural biotopes vs. plantations). Yet, there was an equally high level of assemblage dissimilarity between dry and hydromorphic grasslands, which are similar in structure and undergo the same disturbance regimes, which emphasises the responsiveness of soil fauna to fine-scale habitat heterogeneity. Different biotopes favoured different feeding guilds and each biotope had species strongly associated with it, highlighting the complementarity of the biotopes. All natural biotopes had relatively high species richness, diversity, and species turnover. The diversity and turnover in pine plantations was as high as in the natural areas, suggesting that plantation conditions may favour certain soil arthropods. Implications for insect conservation: Current delineation of conservation areas in timber estates that prioritize biodiversity-rich dry grasslands, wetlands and indigenous forests, greatly benefit soil arthropods. Approaches that promote a mix of biotopes in conservation areas and having biotopes represented across different landscapes would further maximize local heterogeneity and landscape-scale soil arthropod biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Octocrylene sunscreen is found in different environmental compartments. Unlike aquatic organisms, there are few studies evaluating the adverse effects caused by this pollutant on terrestrial plants, and no studies on soil fauna. In this study, octocrylene was evaluated at concentrations of 10, 100, and 1000 µg/L for phytotoxicity, cytogenotoxicity, and oxidative stress in Allium cepa L., and acute toxicity and oxidative stress in Eisenia fetida Sav. In A. cepa, at concentrations of 100 and 1000 µg/L, octocrylene reduced the germination potential in seeds, inhibited root elongation, and caused disturbance in cell division in roots. In E. fetida, the concentration of 1000 µg/L promoted an avoidance rate of 80%, while 10 µg/L caused a hormesis effect. The concentrations 100 and 1000 µg/L caused lipid peroxidation in A. cepa and E. fetida. Based on the results, the recurrent use of biosolids in soil fertilization, as well as the irrigation of plants with wastewater, with the presence of octocrylene can negatively impact the survival of different species that depend directly or indirectly on the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the community structure characteristics of soil fauna during the decomposition of mixed litter, the litter of Pinus massoniana, Sassafras tzumu, Cinnamomum camphora, and Toona sinensis. were examined. A field litter decomposition experiment was conducted to analyze the community structure characteristics of soil fauna during the decomposition process of 35 different treatments of litter formed by these four tree species. In total, 29 614 soil fauna were collected during the two-year decomposition period（8 samplings); the collected specimens represent 6 phyla, 16 classes, 39 orders, and 92 families. Based on the proportion of individuals and composition of the taxa, Poduridae, Tarsonemidae, and Ledridae were the dominant taxa, regardless of treatments during the decomposition. With respect to functional groups, the omnivorous taxa represented the largest group (in terms of number of individuals) in all litter treatments, followed by saprozoic and phytophagic fauna. The predatory group had the smallest number of individuals in the two year decomposition process. In most of the treatments（51.61%～70.97%), a synergistic effect was found with respect to soil fauna density; the Shannon diversity index showed strong synergistic effect only in Novembe r(autumn) and August（summer) of the first year（70.97% and 64.52%). Among the 31 mixed treatments, the soil fauna density in May and November of each year showed synergistic effects when the mass proportion of broad leaves was 40% in the following combinations: Pinus massoniana+Toona sinensis, Pinus massoniana+Sassafras tzumu+Cinnamomum camphora, Pinus massoniana+Sassafras tzumu+Toona sinensis, Pinus massoniana+Cinnamomum camphora+Toona sinensis, and the soil fauna diversity index of Pinus massoniana+Sassafras tzumu+Toona sinensis 6∶3∶1 showed a synergistic effect in the six decomposition periods. The litter of Pinus massoniana, Sassafras tzumu, and Toona sinensis is mixed according to the coniferous broad-leaf ratio of 6∶4, which increases the number as well as diversity of soil fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tire wear particles (TWP) have caused widespread contamination in the environment. However, their behavior and potential impacts in soil remain unclear since studies have so far been mainly conducted in aquatic ecosystems. It is possible that soil ecosystems are already under pressure from pollution by TWP. We here firstly synthesize knowledge about the composition, distribution, and behavior of TWP in soils. By comparing with effects of microplastics (MP) in soil, we further outline several potential impacts of TWP on soil biota and the underpinning mechanisms, and highlight the multiple pathways leading to adverse impacts of TWP on soil microbiota, soil fauna and plants. Furthermore, current knowledge about the effects of TWP is mostly based on single soil microbial species, which may underestimate the effects because of cascading consequences at the community and ecosystem levels. Therefore, more research is urgently needed to clarify the behavior and impacts of TWP from the individual organism to the Earth system level. We suggest that TWP may lead to changes in essential ecosystem services and multifunctionality, and therefore represent an emerging threat to soil health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of resources affects ecological processes at all levels of biological organization. However, it remains to be tested how the spatial configuration of belowground resources affects the community dynamics of soil organisms and resulting plant–soil feedbacks. We used Agrostis stolonifera plants in different spatial configurations in mesocosms to study the dispersal patterns of soil nematodes and rotifers. Plant–soil feedbacks were later assessed by re-sowing the mesocosms with Lolium perenne and Plantago lanceolata after removing all the initial A. stolonifera plants from the mesocosms. Bacterial-feeding nematodes and rotifers spread fast, whereas plant-feeding nematodes barely dispersed from the release sites. These spread patterns of nematodes and rotifers depended on the life-history traits and not on the spatial pattern of the plants. However, more clustered plants developed a higher total biomass and caused a reduced growth of the subsequent vegetation. Our results demonstrate that the mere spatial pattern of a single plant species can alter the strength of plant–soil feedbacks. This has important implications for understanding the impact of planting or replanting schemes and other changes in the spatial configuration of plants on long-term vegetation development and succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to assess the potential hazards of potassium nitrate (NK) fertilizer on the adult earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides (Dugès, 1828) as a bioindicator animal test of soil pollution. The research was based mainly on two complementary toxicity tests in order to point out the 50 LC values then the adverse effect on growth rate and morphohistological alterations in worms. Four increasing concentrations for the lethality test ranged from 2500 to 5500 mg/kg of dry soil weight (d.w.) of potassium nitrate fertilizer. Therefore, the sub-lethal's concentrations were determined based on 10%, 30%, 40%, and 50% of 14 days' median lethal concentration (LC50), with a control set for both tests. The 50 LC values of NK fertilizer were recorded relatively higher at 7 days than at 14 days of exposure, with 5530.43 and 4955.70 mg/kg d.w., respectively. Significant inhibitory effects on the growth rate of earthworms were found under exposure to various concentrations and time exposures. Morphological deformations were also accentuated with high concentrations, namely: clitellar swelling, bloody lesions, yellowish fluid, body strangulation, and fragmentation, as major morpho-pathological changes in worms. While the histopathological manifestations included epidermal layer injuries, vacuolated body walls, and circular and longitudinal muscles were disintegrated completely with increasing concentrations of fertilizer. The bioindicator A. trapezoides earthworm displayed a worthwhile biological control agent against the toxic salinity of potassium nitrate fertilizer with a strong concentration and exposure timeresponse relationship. The present work is noteworthy for being used in the biological control of environmental risk assessment of chemical fertilizers and then as biomarkers to evaluate soil toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, from the first time in Romania, soil fauna taxa were investigated from two types of habitats: with and without Campanula romanica, from Măcin Mountains National Park. Some population parameters were analysed as: taxa diversity, numerical abundance, dominance, evenness, equitability, Shannon-Wiener index of diversity. In total, 24 soil fauna groups were identified, with 399 individuals, recording characteristic structure and taxa for each type of plots. Even if the number of identified taxa is almost similar between plots, the numerical abundance was higher in areas without Campanula romanica. In the same time sixteen environmental variables were quantified, as: the thickness of three soil layers, air temperature and humidity, soil temperature and moisture, soil pH, soil penetration resistance, amount of organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/Nt ratio, humus content, potassium content, phosphorous content and the vegetation cover. They had a significant influence on structure composition of the edaphic taxonomic groups from the two types of habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Global warming could affect Collembola and related decomposition processes within soil ecosystems in permafrost wetlands. Open top chambers (OTCs) were used to simulate climate warming in a cold temperate monsoon climate zone in the Great Hing'an Mountains of Northeast China. Collembola were captured using an aspirator after five years of simulated warming. We found that warming treatment increased the species richness and abundance of Collembola in most of the different seasons, except in May. Species composition differed significantly in the control and warming treatment in May and September. The Collembola species composition in permafrost wetlands was mainly determined by air humidity, indicating different responses of Collembola species to the indirect effect of warming on water availability. It is indicated that warming was the primary factor positively affecting the abundance of Collembola. An increase of Collembola abundance and community alteration to warming could have profound cascading effects on the microbes and plants they feed on in permafrost wetlands. The consideration of environmental factors has long been crucial to developing theories about the spatial variability of species diversity. However, the effects of global warming on Collembola, in permafrost wetlands, are largely unknown. Understanding how Collembola are affected by climate warming is important as they directly affect the community assembly and decomposition processes of plant litter within soil ecosystems. A peatland area in a cold temperate monsoon climate zone in the Great Hing'an Mountains of Northeast China was selected as the study area. Collembola were captured using an aspirator after five years of simulated warming using open top chambers (OTCs). Sampling in different growth seasons showed different characteristics in the control (CK) and warming (OTCs) treatment. Further, the results showed that (1) warming treatment increased the species richness and abundance of Collembola in the different seasons, except in May, (2) warming increased Collembola abundance in permafrost wetlands, and the warming effect was more significant during the cold season (about eight times in April), (3) species composition differed significantly in the control and warming treatment in May and September, and (4) the Collembola species composition in permafrost wetlands was mainly determined by air humidity, indicating different responses of Collembola species to the indirect effect of warming on water availability. We found that warming was the primary factor positively affecting the abundance of Collembola. An increase of Collembola abundance and community alteration to warming could have profound cascading effects on the microbes and plants they feed on in permafrost wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil fauna plays an essential role in agricultural productivity as it mediates nutrient cycling and soil organic matter dynamics, alters soil physicochemical properties and supports plant growth. Nitrogen fertilization may have a positive or negative influence on soil fauna in a manner that alters ecosystem functioning, but these links have not yet been quantified. We present the results of a global meta-analysis of available literature data on the effects of N fertilization on taxonomic and ecological groups of soil fauna. Our results show that organic N fertilization increases the density of springtails, mites and earthworms, as well as the biomass of earthworms compared to when no fertilizer is applied. The meta-analysis for different nematode feeding groups and ecological categories of springtails and earthworms as well as different mite orders showed that organic fertilization has an overall positive effect on most groups as opposed to inorganic fertilization, which has neutral or negative effects on most groups, alone or in combination with organic fertilizers. Additional meta-analyses showed that the effects of N fertilization on soil fauna depend on the N application rate, on soil texture and on climatic conditions. Our findings suggest that the adoption of less intense farming practices such as organic fertilization combined with site-specific N fertilization regimes is a suitable strategy for protecting and enhancing functional communities of soil fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first list of terrestrial enchytraeids of the north-western Caucasus includes 24 species belonging to seven genera. A new enchytraeid species of the genus Fridericia, Fridericia gongalskyi sp. nov., is described. It clearly differs from other species of the genus by the presence of only three pairs of preclitellar nephridia, the postclitellar position of the chylus cells and two elongated spermathecal diverticula. The phylogenetic relations of the new species within the genus are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]