Towards a biochemical quality index for soils: An expression relating several biological and biochemical properties

Soil biological and biochemical properties are highly sensitive to environmental stress and thus can be used to assess quality. Any soil quality index should include several biological and biochemical variables so as to reflect better the complex processes affecting soil quality and to compensate for the wide variations occurring in individual properties. Many authors recommend the use of a native soil supporting climax vegetation that has undergone minimal anthropogenic disturbance as a high quality reference soil. In this study which examined three such native soils of Galicia (N.W. Spain) bearing Atlantic oakwood as the climax vegetation, biological and biochemical properties were found to vary widely seasonally and with sampling site and depth. These variations were closely correlated with the total carbon (C) and/or total nitrogen (N) contents of the soils. The following equation: Total N= (0.38×10^–3) microbial biomass C +(1.4×10^–3) mineralized N +(13.6×10^–3) phosphomonoesterase +(8.9×10^–3) β-glucosidase+(1.6×10^–3) urease explained 97% of the variance in total N for the soils studied, suggesting that a balance exists between the organic matter content of a soil and its biological and biochemical properties. A simplified expression of the above equation may be useful as a biochemical quality index for soils. Received: 5 March 1997     

Hydrolytic enzyme activities in agricultural and forest soils. Some implications for their use as indicators of soil quality

Although a great deal of information exists about the effect of land use on soil enzyme activities, much of this is contradictory and brings into question the suitability of soil enzyme activities as indicators of how land use affects soil quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of land use on different soil biochemical properties, especially hydrolytic enzyme activities, with the aim of providing knowledge about the problems related to the use of enzymes as indicators of soil quality. The data presented derive from various studies in which a large number of soils under different types of forest or agricultural management were analysed by the same methods. All of the soil samples were characterized in terms of their main physical and chemical properties, the activity of several hydrolases, microbial biomass C and soil basal respiration. The results indicate that soil use causes a large reduction in organic matter content and that the effect on enzyme activity varies depending on the type of land use or management and the type of enzyme. Furthermore, the enzyme activities per carbon unit (specific activities) in soils affected by land use are almost always higher than in maximum quality soils (climax soils under oak vegetation or oak soils), and land use also generates greater increases in the specific activity as the C content decreases. The mechanism responsible for these increases probably involves loss of the most labile organic matter. Enzyme enrichment is not always produced to the same degree, as it varies as a function of the enzyme and the type of land use under consideration. It is concluded that the complexity of the behaviour of the soil enzymes raises doubts about the use of enzyme activities as indicators of soil degradation brought about by land use.     

Biochemical properties of range and forest soils in Mediterranean mountain environments

Biochemical properties are at present considered to be the best indicators for assessing soil quality, but their use is limited by the lack of available data, at least for certain ecosystems. In an attempt to offset this lack of data, the present study provides information on different biochemical properties of soils from Sierra Nevada and Sierra María (southern Spain), covering a range of altitudes between 1,000 and 3,000 m. In general, the values of the properties analyzed were similar to those of other mountain soils, although the values of basal respiration were particularly low, possibly due to the low levels of humidity at the time of sampling. The biochemical properties were closely correlated with each other, as observed in soils from other type of environments. Altitude had a clear effect on the biochemical properties because of its effect on climate and vegetation. At both sites, the soil samples showing the most homogenous pattern of biochemical properties (seen through star diagrams) were those corresponding to intermediate altitudes.     

Biochemical properties in managed grassland soils in a temperate humid zone: modifications of soil quality as a consequence of intensive grassland use

Although soil biochemical properties are considered to be good indicators of changes in soil quality, few studies have been made of the changes in biochemical properties brought about by anthropogenic disturbance of grassland ecosystems. In the present study, several biochemical properties were analysed in 31 grassland soils subjected to a high level of management, and the values obtained were compared with known values corresponding to native grasslands from the same region (Galicia, NW Spain). The 31 managed grasslands were divided into two groups (re-sown grasslands and improved grasslands) according to their management and past land use. The biochemical properties studied were: labile carbon, microbial biomass carbon, microbial respiration, metabolic quotient, net nitrogen mineralisation and the activities of dehydrogenase, catalase, phosphodiesterase, phosphomonoesterase, casein hydrolysing proteases, benzoyl arginamide (BAA)-hydrolysing proteases, urease, cellulase, ß-glucosidase, invertase and arylsulphatase. Managed grasslands exhibited lower values of soil biochemical properties than native grasslands. Three biochemical equilibrium equations were used to compare soil quality in managed and native grasslands. One of the equations did not show any significant difference between the groups of grassland soils considered. In contrast, two of the equations showed similar soil quality for improved and native grasslands, while re-sown grasslands exhibited a loss of soil quality when compared to native grassland soils.     

Defining the validity of a biochemical index of soil quality

 The native soils of Galicia (NW Spain) exhibit a biochemical equilibrium such that total soil N is a function of five biochemical and microbiological parameters: microbial biomass C, mineralized N, phosphomonoesterase, β-glucosidase and urease activities. To investigate whether the ratio of the total N calculated from biochemical soil properties (Nc) and the total N as measured by the Kjeldahl method (Nk; Nc/Nk) can be used as an index of soil quality, we determined these variables and consequently the ratio in three kinds of disturbed soils: an artificially Cu-contaminated soil, two lignite mine soils, and a number of arable soils. In none of the studied soils did the individual biochemical parameters respond consistently to the factors influencing soil quality, but in all cases soil degradation was reflected by the Nc/Nk value, which differed more or less markedly from 100%. Nc/Nk can therefore be used for the rapid evaluation of soil degradation, since it distinguishes among biochemically balanced soils, soils in a transient state of high microbiological and biochemical activity and degraded soils. It can also serve as a reliable basis for the rapid calculation of the "ecological dose" (ED₅₀) of soil pollutants. The use of Nc/Nk as an objective index of the biochemical quality of soils is recommended. Received: 20 December 1998     

Soil amendment with seed meals: Short term effects on soil respiration and biochemical properties

In the last decades, worldwide biofuel production increased up to 105 billion liters in 2010; in this year, the world's first biodiesel producer was the European Union. Biodiesel is produced from a variety of oils, mainly soybean, Brassicaceae and sunflower. One of the most important biodiesel production byproducts are seed meals. The most common use of seed meals is for animal nutrition, but another potential use is agricultural soil organic amendments. Soil biological and biochemical properties have been widely used as soil quality indicators, due to their quick response to changes in soil management. Although there are many studies on the effects of regular amendments on respiration and enzymatic activities of the soil, very few papers refer to the effect of seed meals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the short-term effect of seed meal amendment on soil respiration and enzymatic activities (alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolase, arylsulphatase and β-glucosidase). The two seed meals used were obtained from Brassica carinata (A.) Braun (Ethiopian mustard) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). The study was carried out, from June 2007 to October 2007, at an experimental farm of CRA-ORT, Battipaglia, in the Sele River (Plain Salerno, Campania Region, Italy). The results of this study support an alternative use of seed meals as organic amendments. Generally, a significant positive response of enzymatic activities, evaluated in this study, to the addition of seed meals, indicates a beneficial effect on soil quality as regards microbial activity.     

The positive relationship between soil quality and crop production: A case study on the effect of farm compost application

In order to ensure sustainable agriculture, and for evaluating the effects of management practices on soil processes, tools for assessing soil quality are required. The development and use of a multiparameter index, which includes a wide range of soil properties, have been tested and found useful by several studies. However, soil quality measurements are ‘stand-alone’ tools unless they are either linked to important soil functions, used to characterize (agro)ecosystems or used to predict sustainability or productivity. In our study, the relationship between crop production and soil quality was assessed in a six year old field experiment studying the effect of farm compost (FC) amendment in a crop rotation of potato, fodder beet, forage maize and Brussels sprouts. To justify the hypothesis that repeated FC amendment results in both improved soil quality and consequently higher crop yields, a wide range of chemical, biological and physical soil properties were measured and integrated into a soil quality index (SQI). Next, crop yields were used as a functional goal to verify the causal relationship between SQI and crop production. Our results showed that there were significant changes in chemical, physical and biological soil quality as a result of repeated FC amendment. This was evidenced for example by a remarkable increase in both soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N content. Microbial biomass, the relative amount of bacterivorous nematodes and earthworm number were significantly increased as well and, together with SOC and total N, indicated as the dominant factors in assessing soil quality. The integration of these key indicators into the SQI revealed higher SQI values when FC was applied. In addition, crop yields were increased in all FC treated plots by which SOC was pointed out as the most important indicator influencing crop production. Finally, a causal relationship was observed between soil quality and the yield of potato and fodder beet. We conclude that our SQI may be a promising and useful tool to compare different (soil) management practices in relation to a strategic, regional goal, e.g., sustainable high yields. Before generalizing, we recommend a thorough validation of our SQI in other long-term field experiments.     

Soil biochemical activities and the geometric mean of enzyme activities after application of sewage sludge and sewage sludge biochar to soil

There is a need to improve the way in which wastes, such as sewage sludges, are managed and a potential way to proceed would be to transform them into biochar. On the other hand, there is a growing interest in the use of soil biochemical properties as indicators of soil quality because they are sensitive to alterations in soil management. Thus, we have studied the effect of a biochar obtained from sewage sludge on soil biochemical properties in an organic soil using two doses of biochar and comparing these results with the control soil and with soils amended with the same two doses of unpyrolyzed sewage sludge. Microbial biomass C, soil respiration, net N mineralization and several enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, phosphomoesterase and arylsulphatase) were monitored. The geometric mean of enzyme activities (GMea) was used as a soil quality index. Individual biochemical properties showed a different response to the treatments, while GMea showed an increase in the quality of soils amended with the high biochar dose and a decrease in those amended with a high sewage sludge dose. The geometric mean of enzyme activities was a suitable index to condense the whole set of soil enzyme values in a single numerical value, which was sensitive to management practices.     

长期施用畜禽粪便对土壤生物化学质量指标的影响

采用两种母质发育的,长期施用畜禽粪便和化肥的稻麦轮作土壤作为供试土壤,探讨了施用畜禽粪便对土壤微生物组成、微生物生物量及活性、土壤酶活性等生物化学质量指标的影响。研究结果显示,与施用化肥比较,长期施用畜禽粪便显著提高了土壤细菌和放线菌数量(+72%和+132%)、土壤微生物生物量碳、氮(+89%和+74%)、土壤基础呼吸速率和微生物商(+49%和+45%),但降低了土壤真菌的数量(-38%)。土壤脲酶和转化酶活性也表现为长期施用畜禽粪便土壤高于施用化肥土壤。由于受土壤pH值强烈影响,土壤微生物代谢商(qCO2)和土壤磷酸酶活性没有表现出明显的变化规律。回归分析结果显示,长期施用畜禽粪便改变土壤活性有机碳含量和理化性质是导致土壤生物化学质量指标变化的主要原因。     

Development of key soil health indicators for the Australian banana industry

To improve the sustainability and environmental accountability of the banana industry there is a need to develop a set of soil health indicators that integrate physical, chemical and biological soil properties. These indicators would allow banana growers, extension and research workers to improve soil health management practices. To determine changes in soil properties due to the cultivation of bananas, a paired site survey was conducted comparing soil properties under conventional banana systems to less intensively managed vegetation systems, such as pastures and forest. Measurements were made on physical, chemical and biological soil properties at seven locations in tropical and sub-tropical banana producing areas. Soil nematode community composition was used as a bioindicator of the biological properties of the soil. Soils under conventional banana production tended to have a greater soil bulk density, with less soil organic carbon (C) (both total C and labile C), greater exchangeable cations, higher extractable P, greater numbers of plant-parasitic nematodes and less nematode diversity, relative to less intensively managed plant systems. The organic banana production systems at two locations had greater labile C, relative to conventional banana systems, but there was no significant change in nematode community composition. There were significant interactions between physical, chemical and nematode community measurements in the soil, particularly with soil C measurements, confirming the need for a holistic set of indicators to aid soil management. There was no single indicator of soil health for the Australian banana industry, but a set of soil health indicators, which would allow the measurement of soil improvements should include: bulk density, soil C, pH, EC, total N, extractable P, ECEC and soil nematode community structure.     

主成分分析方法在长期施肥土壤质量评价中的应用

以长期定位试验玉米季成熟期6种土壤微生物活性和9种土壤化学性质指标组成的土壤生物肥力性质为评价指标对不同施肥条件下的土壤质量水平进行主成分分析。结果表明,经18年连续不同施肥处理后,各土壤性质在处理间均产生显著差异,但各土壤性质在处理间的变化趋势并不完全一致。上述15个土壤性质指标最终可以用两个主成分来综合表征土壤质量,其中有机C、全N、碱解N、pH值、微生物生物量C、微生物生物量N、脲酶、转化酶、FDA酶和脱氢酶活性等10个土壤性质在第一主成分（PC1）上有较高因子负荷;全P、全K、速效N和速效P在第二主成分（PC2）上有较高的因子负荷。同时各施肥土壤质量水平在主成分1上的分异程度大于主成分2。根据两个主成分的综合得分结果显示,长期不同施肥土壤质量水平高低依次表现为OM＞1/2OM＞NPK＞NP＞PK＞NK＞CK。     

基于因子和聚类分析的保护性耕作土壤质量评价研究

基于长期定位试验,选择12项反映土壤质量特性的定量因子作为评价指标,采用因子分析对不同耕作模式的土壤质量进行综合评价,并运用欧氏距离最短法对其进行聚类分析。12项理化及生物属性指标归纳为5个公因子:保肥供肥因子、有机质因子、容重因子、磷素因子、酶活性因子。因子得分的结果表明:不同耕作模式的5个公因子优势差异明显。相比较而言传统耕作的土壤质量综合得分最低,说明在研究区保护性耕作模式条件下土壤在物理、化学、生物学性质方面都有所改善,土壤质量有所提高。土壤质量综合得分最高的前3种处理为隔年深松(NS2)、秸秆覆盖联合浅松、旋耕(SR2)、连年深松(NS3),说明深松、旋耕及秸秆还田与旋耕技术联合作业在改善土壤结构和培肥土壤方面优势更突出。聚类分析结果表明,同一耕作措施的不同模式土壤质量差异较小,说明在本研究试验条件下,耕作措施是影响土壤质量的关键因素。     

土壤质量评价指标及其时空变异

综述了土壤质量的概念及其研究进展,并探讨了土壤质量指标的选择原则,得出不同土壤的评价应以土壤的功能为基础并采用不同的标准。在以往研究中,人们一直强调以土壤物理、化学特性作为土壤质量指标。目前,国内外关于土壤生物学指标的研究日益增多,一些参数作为生物指标已表现出很大的潜力并成为系统稳定性的早期预警和敏感指标。之后阐述了国内外土壤质量指标空间变异的研究现状,探讨了该领域研究中存在的问题,展望了国内外土壤空间变异的研究前景。     

Changes in chemical and biochemical soil properties induced by 11-yr repeated additions of different organic materials in maize-based forage systems

The repeated addition of organic materials to the soil greatly affects the physical, chemical and biological characteristics. In the present work, we analyzed changes in soil quality properties of the tilled layer caused by different agronomic managements of maize which supply different amounts of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) through the addition of slurry, farmyard manure or plant residues. The agronomic history of the analyzed soils, which derived from a medium-term (11 yr) field experiment located in NW Italy, represents typical managements of maize for this region. The area is characterized by highly intensive agriculture, with consequent risks to soil degradation that could be limited by the efficient utilization of organic inputs and by recycling within cropping systems, the large amounts of manure that are produced from the many animal breeding farms in this region. We used a combination of both different chemical (soil organic C and total N) and biochemical indicators (potential soil respiration, potentially mineralizable N (PMN) and potential soil microbial biomass (SMB)). We considered the suitability of the selected biochemical indicators to describe the changes in soil characteristics resulting from the past management.The results showed that the application of the different organic materials, in addition to urea-N fertilizer, increased SOM contents and altered the selected soil biochemical properties compared with the unfertilized treatment, especially in the upper 15 cm of the 0?30 cm tilled soil layer. Farmyard manure applications caused the greatest increase in SOM content, PMN and potential SMB, whilst return of maize straw produced the largest increase in potential soil respiration, but had less effect on total soil organic C and SMB. The use of slurry only caused a moderate increase in SOM and showed intermediate changes in biochemical properties. Also, the rate of C accumulation in the soil per unit of C applied was higher for farmyard manure application than for slurry and straw incorporation in the soil. Fertilization with only mineral N did not induce an increase in C_org and N_tot and even reduces soil N mineralization potential.Because of the high variability in the data, potential SMB carbon could be considered as a less successful indicator for differentiating between past agronomic histories and effects on soil quality, whilst microbial activity (measured by potential soil respiration) and PMN, gave a more reliable and useful indication of the amount of easily decomposable organic carbon.     

Microplate-scale fluorometric soil enzyme assays as tools to assess soil quality in a long-term agricultural field experiment

We investigated the potential of microplate-scale fluorometric soil enzyme assays to differentiate plots under contrasting long-term organic and mineral N fertilization regimens to determine the relevance of this analytical approach to soil quality related studies.Enzymes involved in the breakdown of cellulose and hemicellulose showed maximum activities in plots amended with manure. Conversely, the enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of starch and phosphate esters peaked under mineral N fertilization. Linear regression analysis indicated close associations between enzyme activities and other fundamental soil properties related to soil quality, and principal component analysis separated the soil samples according to their responses to organic and mineral N fertilization. We conclude that microplate-scale fluorimetry is a fast throughput tool for the measurement of multiple soil enzyme activities as soil quality indicators.     

GISQ, a multifunctional indicator of soil quality

We present here an indicator of soil quality that evaluates soil ecosystem services through a set of 5 subindicators, and further combines them into a single general Indicator of Soil Quality (GISQ). We used information derived from 54 properties commonly used to describe the multifaceted aspects of soil quality. The design and calculation of the indicators were based on sequences of multivariate analyses. Subindicators evaluated the physical quality, chemical fertility, organic matter stocks, aggregation and morphology of the upper 5 cm of soil and the biodiversity of soil macrofauna. A GISQ combined the different subindicators providing a global assessment of soil quality.Research was conducted in two hillside regions of Colombia and Nicaragua, with similar types of land use and socio-economic context. However, soil and climatic conditions differed significantly. In Nicaragua, soil quality was assessed at 61 points regularly distributed 200 m apart on a regular grid across the landscape. In Colombia, 8 plots representing different types of land use were arbitrarily chosen in the landscape and intensively sampled. Indicators that were designed in the Nicaragua site were further applied to the Colombian site to test for their applicability.In Nicaragua, coffee plantations, fallows, pastures and forest had the highest values of GISQ (1.00; 0.80; 0.78 and 0.77, respectively) while maize crops and eroded soils (0.19 and 0.10) had the lowest values. Examination of subindicator values allowed the separate evaluation of different aspects of soil quality: subindicators of organic matter, aggregation and morphology and biodiversity of macrofauna had the maximum values in coffee plantations (0.89; 0.72 and 0.56, respectively on average) while eroded soils had the lowest values for these indicators (0.10; 0.31 and 0.33, respectively).Indicator formulae derived from information gained at the Nicaraguan sites were not applicable to the Colombian situation and site-specific constants were calculated.This indicator allows the evaluation of soil quality and facilitates the identification of problem areas through the individual values of each subindicator. It allows monitoring of change through time and can guide the implementation of soil restoration technologies. Although GISQ formulae computed on a set of data were only valid at a regional scale, the methodology used to create these indices can be applied everywhere.     

土壤健康的生物学监测与评价

土壤是维持陆地生态系统功能和持续性的至关重要的有限资源。土壤质量和土壤健康与农牧业的可持续发展和环境质量的改善息息相关。土壤健康可简单定义为:“土壤作为一个动态生命系统具有的维持其功能的持续能力”。土壤微生物是土壤生物区系的关键性功能要素,一些微生物学参数可以综合判断土壤健康状况。文中提出土壤健康评价的指标体系可区分为土壤中微生物的量、活性、多样性和功能性4个方面,其中与微生物生物量水平相关的基本指标和衍生参数可成为土壤健康的敏感性量化指标,并有潜力作为土壤生态系统受污染和胁迫的预警性监测指标。     

Microbial and biochemical soil quality indicators and their potential for differentiating areas under contrasting agricultural management regimes

The aim of this study was to examine interrelationships between functional biochemical and microbial indicators of soil quality, and their suitability to differentiate areas under contrasting agricultural management regimes. The study included five 0.8 ha areas on a sandy-loam soil which had received contrasting fertility and cropping regimes over a 5 year period. These were organically managed vegetable, vegetable-cereal and arable rotations, an organically managed grass clover ley, and a conventional cereal rotation. The organic areas had been converted from conventional cereal production 5 years prior to the start of the study. All of the biochemical analyses, including light fraction organic matter (LFOM) C and N, labile organic N (LON), dissolved organic N and water-soluble carbohydrates showed significant differences between the areas, although the nature of the relationships between the areas varied between the different parameters, and were not related to differences in total soil organic matter content. The clearest differences were seen in LFOM C and N and LON, which were higher in the organic arable area relative to the other areas. In the case of the biological parameters, there were differences between the areas for biomass-N, ATP, chitin content, and the ratios of ATP: biomass and basal respiration: biomass. For these parameters, the precise relationships between the areas varied. However, relative to the conventionally managed area, areas under organic management generally had lower biomass-N and higher ATP contents. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus colonization potential was extremely low in the conventional area relative to the organic areas. Further, metabolic diversity and microbial community level physiological profiles, determined by analysis of microbial community metabolism using Biolog GN plates and the activities of eight key nutrient cycling enzymes, grouped the organic areas together, but separated them from the conventional area. We conclude that microbial parameters are more effective and consistent indicators of management induced changes to soil quality than biochemical parameters, and that a variety of biochemical and microbial analyses should be used when considering the impact of management on soil quality.     

Adaptation of soil quality indices and application to three tillage systems in southern Illinois

Sustainability of agricultural management systems has become an issue of wide public concern and international debate. One result is that soil quality assessment has been suggested as a tool for evaluating sustainability of soil and crop management practices. Our objective was to adapt a soil quality index to assess the effects of three long-term tillage systems on sloping Grantsburg silt loam soil. Soil quality was evaluated using a framework that included three soil functions: (1) resist erosion (water relations), (2) provide plant nutrients (nutrient relations), and (3) provide a favorable root environment (rooting relations). A score for each of these functions was computed using measurements (indicators) that were normalized with one of the three (more is better, optimum, or worse) scoring functions. Six different indices were developed from a basic framework. Modifications included changing the weighting factors, threshold limits, or type of scoring function applied to indicators, and the addition of air-filled and water storage porosity to the nutrient and rooting relations functions. Changing threshold limits and the type of scoring function used for surface residue improved the correlation between water relations and soil loss. The addition of porosity indicators increased the sensitivity of nutrient and rooting relations functions to yield and cone index, respectively, and resulted in a better correlation between porosity indicators and plant population. Computing soil quality indices helped to combine different soil properties and processes into a simple tool that explained changes in complex soil properties in response to different tillage practices. This supports previous studies suggesting that computing soil quality indices and functions could be useful for selecting management practices to maintain or improve soil quality. Our results demonstrated that adjusting threshold limits for local conditions can make the function ratings more or less sensitive to the management practices being evaluated.     

Hierarchical partitioning for selection of microbial and chemical indicators of soil quality

Statistical approaches, especially multivariate techniques such as hierarchical partitioning analysis (HP) and redundancy analysis (RDA), can be used to select appropriate variables for soil quality assessment. HP is usually applied to ecological data from plants and animals, but has not been applied to chemical and microbial properties such as those used as indicators of soil quality. Our aim was to show how these methods can be employed to find soil quality indicators, using soil microbiological, chemical and physical data to compare two forest types (native and reforested Brazilian Araucaria forests) in two locations in Southeast Brazil. We used RDA to investigate relationships among variables. Additionally, we quantified the independent effects of predictor variables: location, forest type, two specific seasons and some soil properties and used HP to examine how these environmental variables interact to influence soil microbial and chemical attributes. RDA showed that acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase activity, NO₂⁻ oxidizer numbers, basal respiration, metabolic quotient, pH, P and sand content were positive and significantly correlated with the native Araucaria forest, whereas arylsulphatase activity, denitrifier numbers, microbial biomass carbon, microbial quotient, TOC, S and clay levels were positively correlated with the reforested Araucaria. These preliminary results suggest that these variables are the best indicators of soil quality for Araucaria forests. However, HP, used as a complementary tool, showed that only dehydrogenase activity, pH and S variations were due more to forest type than to physical and chemical soil properties, and were resistant to the variation in the two seasons. Overall, our results indicated that dehydrogenase activity, pH and S are potential indicators that can be used to assess or monitor soil health in Araucaria forests. In conclusion, we demonstrated the usefulness of HP to find soil quality indicators. Similarly, other statistical methods, as RDA, could complement HP and increase the reliability of studies that consider simultaneous variables in soil science.