Microarthropods and vegetation as biological indicators of soil quality
studied in the poor sandy stand at former military sites
Abstract
Biota play major roles in soil function and are highly sensitive to any
disturbances including land degradations. The objective of research was
to evaluate the effectiveness of different methods used to determine
soil quality in sandy soil, in particular to compare the microarthropod
and vegetation indices. The following soil fauna indices were used:
Collembola and Acari abundance, QBS-ar index, decomposition rate,
feeding activity. The Ellenberg index was used as a vegetation
indicator, in which the response to pH, nutrients, and moisture was
analysed. We based on an experiment conducted at a former military site
in the Czech Republic. Soil quality was determined at two sites which
differ slightly in nutrient content. Collembola abundance, feeding
activity, and QBS-ar index were highly sensitive to minor differences in
nutrients. In the group of vegetation indices, only the response to pH
was significant. All analysed indices showed better biological quality
in soils with higher nutrient content. Collembola were positively
correlated with all vegetation indicators, which may indicate a close
relation of springtails to certain plant species or similar habitat
requirements. Finally, we indicate the usefulness of biological
indicators for monitoring the quality of soil, which can be adopted when
making various decisions concerning land use.