Comparison of Soil Biology Quality in Organically and Conventionally Managed Agro-Ecosystems Using Microarthropods

Cristina Mantoni, Marika Pellegrini, Leonardo Dapporto, Maria Maddalena Del Gallo, Loretta Pace, Donato Silveri and Simone Fattorini
Additional contact information
Cristina Mantoni: Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Marika Pellegrini: Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Leonardo Dapporto: Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, 50019 Firenze, Italy
Maria Maddalena Del Gallo: Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Loretta Pace: Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Donato Silveri: Regione Abruzzo, Ufficio Attività Culturali di Sulmona e Castel di Sangro—Centro Regionale Beni Culturali, Via Passolanciano 75, 65124 Pescara, Italy
Simone Fattorini: Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Since management practices profoundly influence soil characteristics, the adoption of sustainable agro-ecological practices is essential for soil health conservation. We compared soil health in organic and conventional fields in the Abruzzi region (central Italy) by using (1) the soil biology quality (QBS) index (which expresses the level of specialisation in soil environment shown by microarthropods) and (2) microarthropod diversity expressed by Hill numbers. QBS values were calculated using both the original formulation based on only presence/absence data and a new abundance-based version. We found that organic management improves soil biology quality, which encourages the use of organic farming to maintain soil health. Including arthropod abundance in QBS calculation does not change the main outcomes, which supports the use of its original, speedier formulation. We also found that agricultural fields included in protected areas had greater soil health, which shows the importance of the matrix in determining agricultural soil health and highlights the importance of land protection in preserving biodiversity even in managed soils. Finally, we found that soil biology quality and microarthropod community structure are distinctly influenced by certain physical and chemical characteristics of the soil, which supports the use of microarthropods as biological indicators.

Keywords: organic agriculture; soil properties; soil biological quality; soil health; arthropods; Hill numbers; land protection; soil biodiversity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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