Artropoda Penghuni Tanah sebagai Bioindikator Kesehatan Tanah dan Komponen Penting pada Rantai Makanan di Ekosistem Tanah

Siti Herlinda (Jurusan Hama dan Penyakit Tumbuhan, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indralaya Pusat Unggulan Riset Pengembangan Lahan Suboptimal (PUR-PLSO), Universitas Sriwijaya, Palembang)
Jelly Millinia Puspita Sari

Seminar Nasional Lahan Suboptimal
Vol 13, No 1 (2025): Prosiding Seminar Nasional Lahan Suboptimal ke-13 "Optimalisasi Lahan Suboptima

Herlinda, S., & Sari, M. P. S. (2025). Soil Dwelling Arthropods as Bioindicators of Soil Quality and Components for Food Web in Soil Ecosystem. In: Herlinda S et al. (Eds.), Prosiding Seminar Nasional Lahan Suboptimal ke-13 Tahun 2025, Palembang  20 Oktober 2025. (pp. 8–27).  Palembang: Penerbit & Percetakan Universitas Sriwijaya (UNSRI).The current decline in the abundance and richness of soil-dwelling arthropod species diversity is accelerating, indicating soil degradation and the collapse of the soil food web. The purpose of this paper was to examine the role of soil-dwelling arthropods as bioindicators of soil health and the sustainability of the food web in the soil, as well as the threats posed by cultivation techniques that disrupt the lives of these arthropods. Arthropods are the group with the most species in the soil, accounting for roughly 85% of all soil fauna. They are classified as soil mesofauna and macrofauna, with five major groups: isopoda, myriapoda, insects, acari, and collembola. Soil mesofauna, particularly the Acari (mite) and Collembola (springtail) groups, contribute significantly to organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling in soil ecosystems. Mites (Arachnida) from the Oribatida family, springtails (Collembola) from the Entomobryidae family, and millipedes (Diplopoda) from the Paradoxomatidae and Trigoniulidae families are all important terrestrial arthropods that contribute to decomposition. In addition to being decomposers, some soil arthropods are predators, which play an important role in the functioning of food chains and webs within the soil. The presence of predatory arthropods can limit the growth of herbivore populations that attack roots or tubers. Spiders from the Lycosidae family and insects from the Carabidae, Labiduridae, Formicidae, Laelapidae, and Cunaxidae are among the most important predatory arthropods that live in the soil. Soil arthropods must be protected by implementing sustainable agriculture practices such as organic farming, using organic mulch or ground cover, reducing herbicide use, avoiding land burning, and intensive tillage.