Da. Neher, Soil community composition and ecosystem processes - Comparing agricultural ecosystems with natural ecosystems, AGROFOR SYS, 45(1-3), 1999, pp. 159-185
Soil organisms play principal roles in several ecosystem functions, i.e. pr
omoting plant productivity, enhancing water relations, regulating nutrient
mineralisation, permitting decomposition, and acting as an environmental bu
ffer. Agricultural soils would more closely resemble soils of natural ecosy
stems if management practices would reduce or eliminate cultivation, heavy
machinery, and general biocides; incorporate perennial crops and organic ma
terial; and synchronise nutrient release and water availability with plant
demand. In order to achieve these goals, research must be completed to deve
lop methods for successful application of organic materials and associated
micro-organisms, synchronisation of management practices with crop and soil
biota phenology, and improve our knowledge of the mechanisms linking speci
es to ecosystem processes.