Mitteilungen der Deutschen Bodenkundlichen Gesellschaft 108 [antikvár]

Mapping soil organism communities - A tool to integrate the assessment of the soil habitat function into planning processes Anneke Beylich1, Gabriele Broll2, Ulfert Graefe1, Heinrich Höper', Jörg Römbke4, Andrea Ruf5, Berndt-Michael Wilke6 Introduction The purpose of the Germán Soil Protection Act is to protect or restore natural soil functions on a permanent sustainable basis. No provisions are given for the habitat function for soil organisms (PÖU 2003). The technical committee "Biological Assessment of Soils" of the Germán Soil Association (Bundesverband Boden e.V.) has 10 9 8 ő 14 o 023 2 1 0 The method is based on the relations between abiotic soil properties (pH, soil moisture regime, soil texture), humus forms and land use on the one hand and the presence of specific soil organism community types on the other hand (Fig. 1). Field investigations are only recommended at selected sites if e.g. the available data are insufficient, rare species / community types are expected or the given information suggests severe disturbances. So far we distinguish 14 soil organism community types with a typical species composition of the soil fauna and associated typical humus forms: "A" community types: Mull humus forms, anecic and/or endogeic earthworms present. "B" community types: Moder or mor humus forms, anecic and endogeic earthworms missing. -b 2a 2.2a 2.1 -| Grassland sites: A 1.3 I -Forest sites: A 1.1 -b 1Grassland sites: A 1.2 Sands: A 1.2.1 (médium mícrobial biomass) Silts, loams, sandy clays: A 1.2.2 (high microbial biomass) Clay loams and clays: A 1.2.3 (very high microbial biomass) Arable land: A 1.4 Sands (partly): A 1.4.1 (low microbial biomass) Silts, loams, sandy clays: A 1 4.2 (médium microbial biomass) Clay loams and clays: A 1.4.3 (high microbial biomass) -b 3a 3