Factors affecting soil invertebrate biodiversity in agroecosystems of the Po Plain area (Italy)

Soil is a fundamental component of the biosphere, whose properties and quality are affected by human activities, such as agriculture. health for different ecosystem services soil biota has crucial role in maintaining it. Elucidating how crops agricultural practices affect invertebrates communities relevance. In present study, DNA metabarcoding approach was adopted to evaluate effects biotic abiotic factors, including practices, on composition diversity invertebrate agro-ecosystems (Po Plain-Italy). At this aim, markers more effective primers retrieving metazoan were established. Bulk samples from (i.e., cornfield, alfalfa, paddy fields, vineyard, stable meadow, woodland) collected and, processed obtaining 18S rRNA coi sequences (raw reads analyzed using QIIME2 R). physical chemical parameters measured each sample (e.g., pH, carbon-nitrogen ratio, texture, porosity) metadata farms management retrieved. The most efficient primer pairs recovering metazoans M620F/M1260R rRNA, mlCOIintF/jgHCO2198R gene. resulted dominated Nematoda, Arthropoda, Annelida, Rotifera Tardigrada. diverse have been found meadows woodlands, while cornfields showed lowest level diversity. (Hill numbers) positively correlated with porosity it negatively phosphate abundance. This pattern probably reflects negative effect excessive fertilization phosphates fauna, abundance organic matter microhabitats enhance presence complex communities. Other only specific taxa pH Annelida Rotifera).