Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators
Biological indicators of soil quality express the capacity of a soil to maintain its ecosystem functions and services between socio-ecosystem inflection thresholds; therefore, they are determinants in management and land use decisions. However, their development until a few decades ago was limited f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Ecological Indicators |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23002339 |
| _version_ | 1827985803199905792 |
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| author | Santiago Bonilla-Bedoya Kevin Valencia Miguel Ángel Herrera Magdalena López-Ulloa David A. Donoso José Eduardo Macedo Pezzopane |
| author_facet | Santiago Bonilla-Bedoya Kevin Valencia Miguel Ángel Herrera Magdalena López-Ulloa David A. Donoso José Eduardo Macedo Pezzopane |
| author_sort | Santiago Bonilla-Bedoya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biological indicators of soil quality express the capacity of a soil to maintain its ecosystem functions and services between socio-ecosystem inflection thresholds; therefore, they are determinants in management and land use decisions. However, their development until a few decades ago was limited for several reasons: reductionism and early development of other dimensions, such as physical and chemical indicators or their methodological complexity, thus affecting the importance given to biological factors and the integral evaluation of soil quality or health. Thus, this review presents a mapping of the scientific contributions of the last 50 years oriented to the theoretical and methodological development of biological indicators of soil quality, identifying their development and application in these decades. We conducted a bibliometric analysis that allowed us to present an overview of the field with respect to scientific production: temporality, geographical origin, institutional origin, journals that promote the development of the field, articles with greater influence by citation in the field of study, and the co-occurrences of these indicators in research. This analysis was complemented at the second stage by a systematic review of the literature with the greatest impact by citation. We found 2320 scientific papers distributed mainly in the United States (17.8%), China (12.2%), Brazil (8.3%), India (6.3%), and European Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, France, and Italy (14.2%). Our review showed 25 biological indicators with the highest occurrence; for example, microbial biomass (118), enzymatic activity (90), and organic matter (78); other indicators, such as earthworms, nematodes, or springtails, are also reported. All indicators showed relationships, to a greater or lesser extent, with soil biodiversity and its functions in the landscape. Important advances in soil indicators have developed gradually in the last few decades, with scientific efforts mainly concentrated in developed and emerging countries. In the last decade, the production curve continues with a growth trend., and research questions in the field revolve around the linkage of diversity and function from a molecular point of view. The scope goes beyond productivity, manifesting the real need to conserve and manage the ecosystem services of a limited and non-renewable natural resource. Pioneering research should begin to report on the scope of soil biological monitoring and its influence on policy, management, and land use. Finally, the promotion of research networks with developing countries can foster the development of regional and local soil monitoring policies in these regions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:20:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f747110283e3413fa5b762a541c9969c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1470-160X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:20:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Indicators |
| spelling | doaj.art-f747110283e3413fa5b762a541c9969c2023-03-22T04:36:14ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2023-04-01148110091Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicatorsSantiago Bonilla-Bedoya0Kevin Valencia1Miguel Ángel Herrera2Magdalena López-Ulloa3David A. Donoso4José Eduardo Macedo Pezzopane5Research Center for the Territory and Sustainable Habitat, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, 170301, Quito, Ecuador; Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias del Medio Ambiente, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, 170301, Quito, Ecuador; Corresponding author.Research Center for the Territory and Sustainable Habitat, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, 170301, Quito, EcuadorDepartment of Forest Engineering. E.T.S.I.A.M., Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (ceiA3), Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, SpainIngeniería en Agroecología, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena Ecuador, EcuadorDepartamento de Biología, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, EcuadorDepartamento de Engenharia Florestal Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Jerónimo Monteiro, BrazilBiological indicators of soil quality express the capacity of a soil to maintain its ecosystem functions and services between socio-ecosystem inflection thresholds; therefore, they are determinants in management and land use decisions. However, their development until a few decades ago was limited for several reasons: reductionism and early development of other dimensions, such as physical and chemical indicators or their methodological complexity, thus affecting the importance given to biological factors and the integral evaluation of soil quality or health. Thus, this review presents a mapping of the scientific contributions of the last 50 years oriented to the theoretical and methodological development of biological indicators of soil quality, identifying their development and application in these decades. We conducted a bibliometric analysis that allowed us to present an overview of the field with respect to scientific production: temporality, geographical origin, institutional origin, journals that promote the development of the field, articles with greater influence by citation in the field of study, and the co-occurrences of these indicators in research. This analysis was complemented at the second stage by a systematic review of the literature with the greatest impact by citation. We found 2320 scientific papers distributed mainly in the United States (17.8%), China (12.2%), Brazil (8.3%), India (6.3%), and European Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, France, and Italy (14.2%). Our review showed 25 biological indicators with the highest occurrence; for example, microbial biomass (118), enzymatic activity (90), and organic matter (78); other indicators, such as earthworms, nematodes, or springtails, are also reported. All indicators showed relationships, to a greater or lesser extent, with soil biodiversity and its functions in the landscape. Important advances in soil indicators have developed gradually in the last few decades, with scientific efforts mainly concentrated in developed and emerging countries. In the last decade, the production curve continues with a growth trend., and research questions in the field revolve around the linkage of diversity and function from a molecular point of view. The scope goes beyond productivity, manifesting the real need to conserve and manage the ecosystem services of a limited and non-renewable natural resource. Pioneering research should begin to report on the scope of soil biological monitoring and its influence on policy, management, and land use. Finally, the promotion of research networks with developing countries can foster the development of regional and local soil monitoring policies in these regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23002339ReviewSoil biologySoil qualityPatternIndicators |
| spellingShingle | Santiago Bonilla-Bedoya Kevin Valencia Miguel Ángel Herrera Magdalena López-Ulloa David A. Donoso José Eduardo Macedo Pezzopane Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators Ecological Indicators Review Soil biology Soil quality Pattern Indicators |
| title | Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators |
| title_full | Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators |
| title_fullStr | Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators |
| title_short | Mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators |
| title_sort | mapping 50 years of contribution to the development of soil quality biological indicators |
| topic | Review Soil biology Soil quality Pattern Indicators |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23002339 |
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