Lijbert Brussaard

TL;DR: It is found that explicit evaluation of soil quality with respect to specific soil threats, soil functions and ecosystem services has rarely been implemented, and few approaches providing clear interpretation schemes of measured indicator values limits their adoption by land managers as well as policy.

TL;DR: The contribution of earthworms to ecosystem services through pedogenesis, development of soil structure, water regulation, nutrient cycling, primary production, climate regulation, pollution remediation and cultural services is discussed in this article.

TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of plant and soil biodiversity on nutrient and water use efficiencies as important ecological functions in agroecosystems are discussed, and some economic benefits of soil biodiversity to society as part of a wider strategy of conserving and using agrobiodiversity.

TL;DR: In this article, the decomposition and nutrient release patterns of three woody agroforestry plant species (Acioa barteri, Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala), maize (Zea mays) stover and rice (Oryza sativa) straw, were investigated under field conditions in the humid tropics, using litterbags of three mesh sizes (0.5, 2 and 7 mm) which allowed differential access of soil fauna.

TL;DR: The soil biota considered at present to be most at risk are species-poor functional groups among macrofaunal shredders of organic matter, bioturbators of soil, specialized bacteria like nitrifiers and nitrogen fixers, and fungiforming mycorrhizas.