Rapid Assessment of Land Use Legacy Effect on Forest Soils: A Case Study on Microarthropods Used as Indicators in Mediterranean Post-Agricultural Forests

Abstract

Agriculture is known to strongly influence soil functioning. Nevertheless, its long-term effects remain not well documented in the Mediterranean region, which has a long history of human land use. The “Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon” is a good illustration of these land use changes, as its territory is now covered with forests of differing ages and histories. This study investigates the effect of past land use (agricultural terraces) on microarthropods of current forest soils. In this way, Acari and Collembola of soils from ancient forests, recent forests (developed before 1958), and very recent forests (developed after 1958) were analysed. Different pedoclimatic conditions (Meso-Mediterranean vs. Supra-Mediterranean) and two contrasted seasons (winter and summer) were taken into account in mesofauna responses. A negative effect of past agricultural land use was observed on soil microarthropod abundance in very recent forests only, whatever the pedoclimatic conditions. After at least 60 years of reforestation, this negative effect was no longer observed, indicating a recovery of these communities. Land use legacy effect on oribatid mites in post-agricultural forests depended on the pedoclimatic conditions considered, suggesting that the recovery of microarthropod communities takes more time under more arid conditions. Microarthropods can be considered as good bioindicators of past land use effects depending on pedoclimatic conditions in forest soils.