APPLICATION OF THE ARTHROPOD-BASED SOIL BIOLOGICAL QUALITY INDEX (QBS-AR) IN THE CONERO REGIONAL PARK: A COMPARISON BETWEEN THREE ORGANIC FARMING SYSTEMS

Soil microarthropods are recognized as sensitive indicators of the impact of agricultural practices on soil functions. The arthropod-based Soil Biological Quality Index (QBS-ar) is a reliable method to assess soil health, avoiding the difficulties of taxonomic identification to species level. The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 highlighted the significance of organic farming and land protection in halting biodiversity loss. On this point, the study aimed to evaluate the soil health in organic farms within a protected area, using the QBS-ar over a two-year period. The final objective to identify the most sustainable farming system and the best ’good agricultural practices’ to preserve soil microarthropods and, more generally, to promote the conservation of soil biodiversity in different agroecosystem types. Four arable lands, four olive groves, and four vineyards located within the Conero Park (Italy) were studied. The QBS-ar index, number of biological forms, density (ind/m3), total abundance, Acari/Collembola ratio, and percentage of Oribatid mites out of total mites were determined. Ordination analysis was used to analyse the soil microarthropod community composition across farming systems. The results indicate that organic farming combined with land protection has a positive impact on soil health. Most farms demonstrated excellent soil quality, with the highest levels found in arable land. These findings support the