02448nas a2200241 4500008004100000022001400041245008000055210006900135260001500204300000900219490000700228520175800235653001801993653002002011653001402031653002002045653002202065653002102087653001702108100002002125700001802145856004302163 2020 eng d a2075-445000aSoil Health and Arthropods: From Complex System to Worthwhile Investigation0 aSoil Health and Arthropods From Complex System to Worthwhile Inv c16/01/2020 a1-210 v113 a

The dramatic increase in soil degradation in the last few decades has led to the need to identify methods to define not only soil quality but also, in a holistic approach, soil health. In the past twenty years, indices based on living communities have been proposed alongside the already proven physical-chemical methods. Among them, some soil invertebrates have been included in monitoring programs as bioindicators of soil quality. Being an important portion of soil fauna, soil arthropods are involved in many soil processes such as organic matter decomposition and translocation, nutrient cycling, microflora activity regulation and bioturbation. Many studies have reported the use of soil arthropods to define soil quality; among taxa, some have been explored more in depth, typically Acari and Collembola, while generally less abundant groups, such as Palpigradi or Embioptera, have not been investigated much. This paper aims to evaluate and compare the use of different soil microarthropod taxa in soil degradation/quality studies to highlight which groups are the most reported for soil monitoring and which are the most sensitive to soil degradation. We have decided not to include the two most present and abundant taxa, Acari and Collembola, in this paper in consideration of the vast amount of existing literature and focus the discussion on the other microarthropod groups. We reported some studies for each taxon highlighting the use of the group as soil quality indicator. A brief section reporting some indices based on soil microarthropods is proposed at the end of this specific discussion. This paper can be considered as a reference point in the use of soil arthropods to estimate soil quality and health.

10abioindicators10amacroarthropods10amesofauna10amicroarthropods10asoil biodiversity10asoil degradation10asoil quality1 aMenta, Cristina1 aRemelli, Sara uhttps://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/1/5402607nas a2200265 4500008004100000022001400041245010500055210006900160260001500229300000900244490000700253520181500260653001802075653002002093653001402113653002202127653002102149653001702170100002002187700002302207700002302230700002602253700001802279856004402297 2020 eng d a2073-439500aSoil Arthropod Responses in Agroecosystem: Implications of Different Management and Cropping Systems0 aSoil Arthropod Responses in Agroecosystem Implications of Differ c09/07/2020 a1-190 v103 a

The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP 2014–2020) on soil management points to the combination of sustainable food production with environmental protection, reduction of CO2 emissions, and safeguarding of soil biodiversity. In this study, three farms (in the Emilia-Romagna region), managed with both conventional and conservation practices (the last ones with and without sub-irrigation systems), were monitored from 2014 to 2017 to highlight the impact of different crops and soil managements on soil arthropods, in terms of abundance, composition, and soil biological quality (applying QBS-ar index). To do this, linear mixed models were performed, whereas arthropods assemblages were studied through PERMANOVA and SIMPER analysis. Soil communities varied among farms, although most differences were found among crops depending on management practices. Nonetheless, conservation systems and a wider reduction in anthropogenic practices provided better conditions for soil fauna, enhancing QBS-ar. Moreover, arthropod groups responded to soil practices differently, highlighting their sensitivity to agricultural management. Community assemblages in corn and wheat differed between managements, mainly due to Acari and Collembola, respectively. In conservation management, wheat showed the overall greatest abundance of arthropods, owing to the great number of Acari, Collembola, and Hymenoptera, while the number of arthropod groups were generally higher in crop residues of forage.

Recommended citation: Menta C, Conti FD, Lozano Fondón C, Staffilani F, Remelli S (2020): Soil Arthropod Responses in Agroecosystem: Implications of Different Management and Cropping Systems. Agronomy, 10 (7), Art. 982: 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10070982

10abioindicators10aland management10amesofauna10asoil biodiversity10asoil degradation10asoil quality1 aMenta, Cristina1 aConti, Federica, D1 aFondón, Carlos, L1 aStaffilani, Francesca1 aRemelli, Sara uhttps://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/7/982