Effects of Soil Quality Decline on Soil-Dwelling Mesofaunal Communities in Agricultural Lands of the Mollisols Region, China

Abstract

Soil quality decline can adversely affect ecosystem health and land productivity, with soil-dwelling mesofauna considered to potentially fulfill vital functions in accurately predicting these outcomes. However, the current state of research reveals a gap concerning the relationships between soil quality decline and soil-dwelling mesofauna in the Mollisols Region. For a more profound understanding of this issue, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of soil-dwelling mesofaunal communities in the different agricultural lands of the Mollisols Region. In this study, soil-dwelling mesofauna were collected, and 11 soil properties were determined following standard procedures, with soil quality levels quantified by utilizing soil quality index (SQI). Our results revealed that there was a gradient of soil quality across the different agricultural lands, which were divided into five levels, including very strong, strong, medium, weak, and very weak. Subsequently, this investigation provided empirical evidence that the decline in soil quality had implications for soil-dwelling mesofaunal communities in agricultural lands of the Mollisols region. A consistent decrease in the density of soil-dwelling mesofauna was observed with the decline of soil quality. In contrast, a greater richness was observed in areas with relatively weaker soil quality, suggesting that the consequences of soil quality decline on soil-dwelling mesofauna were not exclusively negative. Various taxa of soil-dwelling mesofauna exhibited varying degrees of response to the decline in soil quality. Oribatida was overwhelmingly dominant in the sampling fields with medium soil quality, and most Entomobryidae were found in agricultural lands with very weak soil quality. During soil quality decline, soil nutrients were observed to correlate positively with the density of soil-dwelling mesofauna. Overall, the outcomes of this investigation carry significance for comprehending how soil quality decline relates to soil-dwelling mesofauna, and can provide valuable ecological insights for formulating biodiversity guidelines targeted at preserving soil resources in the Mollisols region.