SOIL MESOAFAUNA AS A FACTOR IN SOIL FERTILITY (THEORETICAL REVIEW AND PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE)

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to carry out a theoretical analysis and an objective examination of the influence of mesofauna on the formation of soil fertility, as well as to identify new promising trends in the use of this group of animals in environmental studies. The assessment and inventory of soil biodiversity is a common area of environmental research that focuses on mesofauna invertebrates. The abundance, species and functional structure of the soil mesofauna directly affects the exchange rate between vegetation and soil. At the same time, ground invertebrates are affected by a number of factors, including wetting and thermal conditions, trophic interactions, vegetation composition of all tiers, and anthropogenic impacts on habitats. The authors conducted a theoretical review of the scientific literature on the influence of mesofauna on soil fertility, with a view to identifying new promising trends in the use of this group of animals in environmental studies. There was some discrepancy in the classification of soil fauna by dimensional characteristics in different science schools. The participation of mesofauna in the soil cycle and the known influence of these animals on soil fertility have been analyzed. The influence of abiotic factors on the diversity and activity of mesofauna has been monitored. There are a continuous accumulation of knowledge in the literature about the role of interactions between different groups of organisms, especially micro-organisms and plants, zoo microbial complexes, fungi associations with algae and bacteria, and the role of mesofauna in soil biological processes. The role of biota in protecting the environment and ensuring the sustainability of terrestrial and terrestrial ecosystems Taking into account all the facts and the content of the scientific publications, the authors of the article concluded that, at the present stage, a promising direction is being taken, which is of fundamental and practical scientific importance is the use of mesofauna as effective ground bio-indicators in programs for monitoring, restoring and preserving the health of soil ecosystems.