The Italian skill network of soil biological quality assessed by microarthropods’ community

In December 2017, during the 42nd Congress of the Italian Society of Soil Science (SISS), the working group of the QBS-ar index (Soil Biological Quality based on soil arthropods) was established. The aim of this group is to create a network of skillfulness on the well-known and widespread QBS-ar index, conceived by Vittorio Parisi in 2001. The index allows to easily assess soil biological quality analysing the presence of soil dwelling microarthropods. The working group is hosted by SISS and, at present, accounts 57 members expert in this methodology working in 14 different Italian Region, mainly in research public institutions but also in the national System of Environmental Protection Agencies and private bodies. Without any own funds, it already realized 5 workshops and a public seminary at the national scale, a database containing more than 500 files concerning QBS-ar, a SWOT analysis here reported, and a public tender for the graphical Logo.