A review on effective soil health bio-indicators for ecosystem restoration and sustainability

Abstract

Preventing degradation, facilitating restoration, and maintaining soil health is fundamental for achieving ecosystem stability and resilience. A healthy soil ecosystem is supported by favorable components in the soil that promote biological productivity and provide ecosystem services. Bio-indicators of soil health are measurable properties that define the biotic components in soil and could potentially be used as a metric in determining soil functionality over a wide range of ecological conditions. However, it has been a challenge to determine effective bio-indicators of soil health due to its temporal and spatial resolutions at ecosystem levels. The objective of this review is to compile a set of effective bio-indicators for developing a better understanding of ecosystem restoration capabilities. It addresses a set of potential bio-indicators including microbial biomass, respiration, enzymatic activity, molecular gene markers, microbial metabolic substances, and microbial community analysis that have been responsive to a wide range of ecosystem functions in agricultural soils, mine deposited soil, heavy metal contaminated soil, desert soil, radioactive polluted soil, pesticide polluted soil, and wetland soils. The importance of ecosystem restoration in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals was also discussed. This review identifies key management strategies that can help in ecosystem restoration and maintain ecosystem stability.

Adaptability of Wild-Growing Tulips of Greece: Uncovering Relationships between Soil Properties, Rhizosphere Fungal Morphotypes and Nutrient Content Profiles

“…Since maintaining biodiversity is important for the overall health and sustainability of ecosystems [ 19 ], understanding the interaction of different species with biotic and abiotic factors in their environment is of crucial concern. To this end, nutrient cycling plays a major role in ecosystem functioning [ 20 ] and can act as an indicator of the health status of different ecosystems [ 21 ]. In this regard and considering that both natural and artificial landscapes are threatened by the ongoing and ever-increasing ecological crisis [ 19 ], it is essential to identify the properties of the habitats of different species for conservation management.…”

“…In this regard and considering that both natural and artificial landscapes are threatened by the ongoing and ever-increasing ecological crisis [ 19 ], it is essential to identify the properties of the habitats of different species for conservation management. Determining both biotic and abiotic conditions of various habitats can offer knowledge about the species’ needs in terms of nutrients including interrelationships thereof with other living factors such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or microbes [ 19 , 21 ]. Thus, establishing species-specific profiles could possibly provide insight into distribution patterns followed regarding species and/or habitats of conservation concern.…”

Advancing Soil Health: Challenges and Opportunities in Integrating Digital Imaging, Spectroscopy, and Machine Learning for Bioindicator Analysis

“…Bioindicators, encompassing the living components in soil, offer valuable insights into the functionality and condition of soils across diverse ecological contexts. 2 These indicators furnish quantifiable data that aid in evaluating soil quality and health. Researchers have identified an array of biological indicators for monitoring soil health, including microbial taxa and community structure, soil respiration and carbon cycling, multienzyme profiling, nematodes, microarthropods, and microbial biomass.…”

“…Healthy soils play a vital role in facilitating vital processes such as nutrient cycling, water filtration, and carbon sequestration, which are essential for maintaining the overall health and functioning of ecosystems. Bioindicators, encompassing the living components in soil, offer valuable insights into the functionality and condition of soils across diverse ecological contexts . These indicators furnish quantifiable data that aid in evaluating soil quality and health.…”

“…These indicators furnish quantifiable data that aid in evaluating soil quality and health. Researchers have identified an array of biological indicators for monitoring soil health, including microbial taxa and community structure, soil respiration and carbon cycling, multienzyme profiling, nematodes, microarthropods, and microbial biomass. , These indicators reflect important aspects of soil health, such as microbial activity, nutrient availability, and overall soil functionality.…”