A critical review of biological parameters used to indicate pollutant impact on soi! quality was conducted. These param eters mention some soi! invertebrates. The value of an indicative organism depends on its life expectancy, life style and specific importance. Nematodes, mites, collembolans, enchytraeids, earthworms, isopods and molluscs are good potential biological indica tors. Biological indicators of bioaccumulation and biological indicators of effects (toxicological and ecological) can be distin guished. Bioaccumulation studies are difficult to interpret, as wide variations could be found, depending on taxonomie group, habitat, organ studied, soi) type or even pollutant type. Sorne groups, such as Collembola, require in depth bioaccumulation studies. It is suggested to use a pool of macro-concentrators, including at least some earthworm, isopod and gastropod species. Toxicological indicators have been well studied and their lethal and sublethal pollutant effects are well known. However, studies have focused on only a few species, such as the earthworm Eiseniafoetida or the collembolan Folsomia candida. These studies should be extended to other zoological groups, as well as to several species from the same group, to generate a representative test battery. Exposure biom arkers and physiological change studies should be emphasised, as they act as very early warning systems of contamination. Data are currently lacking on how soil biological processes malfunction due to pollution. We need to explore the links between pollutant effects on soi! fauna and pollutant effects on soi! functioning. Concerning ecological indicators, studies should develop sampling techniques and parameters, which are specific to ecotoxicological goals. Before-after impact contrai procedures should be carried out, to eliminate the background noise of the study site and only evaluate the influence of pollutants. On the other hand, ecological indices, such as taxonomie diversity or richness, should be used carefully especially concerning chronic pollution. Effects of pollut ants on biological cycle studies seem very promising, but need further information on the life history strategies of many species. Furthermore, the pollutant tolerance of rare species should be considered. The different types of biological indicators yield comple mentary information on pollutant effects. They ail need standard procedures. In this context, studies should be extended and diversi fied, and associate bioaccumulation, toxicological and ecological indicators to provide better information on soi! quality.Ecotoxicology / bioindicators of effects / bioaccumulation / soit ecology / soit quality / soit inv ertebrates / soit fauna / earthworms / microarthropods / mites / collembolans / isopods / enchytraeids / snails / soit pollution Résumé -Utilisation de la faune invertébrée du sol comme bio-indicateur des effets des polluants. Une liste critique des para mètres biologiques utilisés dans certains travaux pour indiquer l'impact des polluants sur la qualité des sol...

Two crop production systems, which differ on tillage and pesticides, were compared for biodiversity of soil microarthropod communities. A biodiversity index, which integrates different structure and density parameters (abundance, taxonomic richness, taxonomic diversity, coenotic diversity) was used. Results showed a greater biodiversity in minimum tillage systems compared to deep tillage systems. Pesticides seemed to be only a second order factor of variance on microarthropod biodiversity.

The effects of two herbicides (atrazine and alachlore) and two insecticides (fipronil and carbofuran) on organic matter decomposition and soil mesofauna were evaluated in a maize field under normal agriculture conditions. Soil mesofauna were studied using the litterbag method. Near infrared reflectance spectrophotometry was used to study the effects on decomposition parameters (litter mass and nitrogen dynamic). The effects on soil microarthropods varied depending on both taxon and pesticide, with fipronil having a particularly strong effect. Differences were also observed between treatments for organic matter decomposition parameters, especially with the use of alachlore. Therefore, the analysis of microarthropods and the decomposition parameters provides complementary information on the effects of these chemical treatments.

We studied the influence of four soil maintenance practices on Collembola communities in the soil of a Mediterranean vineyard: (a) postemergence herbicide with glyphosate; (b) postemergence and pre-emergence herbicides with glyphosate, terbuthylazine, diuron and oryzalin; (c) natural flora and (d) tillage to a depth of 10-15 cm. Total Collembola abundance, species diversity and species richness significantly varied between the four practices. Notably, the practice using postemergence and pre-emergence herbicides had significantly lower values. Identification of Collembola at species level allowed an interspecies comparison and revealed significant differences for the most common species between the four practices, with each practice being characterized by a different set of species. None of the species were found to be significantly more abundant in the plots treated with postemergence and pre-emergence herbicides.

In evergreen oak leaves collected at a western Mediterranean site (Var, France), the amounts of both hydrolyzable and condensed tannins decrease through the depth of the leaf litter. The decrease in condensed tannins could be partly explained by the cellular degradation of the lower epidermis and the mesophyll of leaves, as observed in histological sections. However, the condensed tannins may also be degraded by microbial enzymes because their average molecular weight decreased by about 50%. In contrast, the decrease in hydrolyzable tannins seems to be initiated by microbial enzymatic action, which is then followed by the same degradation process described above.