Effects of soil management practices on the abundance, biomass and diversity of soil macrofauna in the province of Berkane, NE Morocco

The agrobiodiversity in the province of Berkane along the Triffa plain of the NE region of Morocco represents an area characterized by a high diversity of ecosystems that are affected by intense agricultural activities. Therefore, it is essential to study the different agricultural practices that contribute to its protection and preservation. However, no biological measurements are currently being carried out in this region. Between February and April 2023, a set of 30 soil sampling sites was established in six sugar beet fields from two agricultural systems to evaluate the effects of soil management practices on soil macrofaunal communities, litter and soil properties in a Beta vulgaris L. (sugar beet) field in Berkane. In this study, the transition from conventional to organic cultivation has a positive effect on the macrofauna communities, which also contributed to changes in soil edaphic properties. For example, the abundance of macrofauna, was greater in the organic system (780 ± 190 individuals · m⁻²) than in the conventional farming system (296 ± 69 individuals · m⁻²). Additionally, the biomass of soil macrofauna increased almost twofold during the transition to the organic farming system. However, the diversity was similar between the two different agricultural systems, with a slight increase in specific richness in the organic farming system compared with that in the other conventional farming system. We assume that the feedback of soil macrofauna to farming systems could be due to the indirect impact of pesticides via changes in habitat conditions.