THE BAIT-LAMINA TEST - GENERAL-ASPECTS, APPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

A general introduction of the bait-lamina test has been made in this a rticle. This article has an introductional character for other article s dealing with the bait-lamina test method and gives the experimental data. The test was first introduced by TORNE in 1990 to measure the bi ological activity of soil. It enables the monitoring of biotic (microb ial and zootic) processes in the soil within a short period of time, a nd detailed investigations. The test system is based on visual assessm ent of feeding on small portions of thin laminated bait substrate expo sed to edaphic processes. The test system has found its application ma inly in Germany but in the meanwhile also in Portugal, Switzerland and in the Netherlands in laboratories of soil ecology and soil ecotoxico logy At present there are only few publications in the international l iterature, but the interest in this method is growing. During the past years two workshops on the subject have been organized in Germany to summarize experiences with and to evaluate the test system and optimiz e the standard procedure.