Enhancing Above and Below-Soil Arthropods to Improve Production on Marginal Lands

Improving marginal lands to overcome challenges in land use, such as land abandonment prevention and biodiversity conservation, has garnered increasing attention from policymakers and scientists. In the context of rehabilitating marginal lands, the consideration of edaphic arthropods becomes paramount due to their multifaceted roles within the soil. The productivity of marginal lands is influenced by a complex interplay of various interconnected factors, including nutrient balance, nutrient release capacity, soil acidity, organic matter content, soil structure, and water retention. The long-term functionality of these soil processes in agricultural lands is heavily reliant on the activities of arthropods inhabiting the soil environment. Soil-dwelling arthropods play a pivotal role in ecosystem functioning, notably in nutrient cycling, facilitating plant nutrient uptake, and regulating pest populations, which ultimately impacts plant health, physiology, and overall performance. Recognizing the ecological importance of soil arthropod biodiversity is critical in the development of a future sustainable agricultural strategy. The potential for better agricultural production on marginal lands can be achieved by incorporating their contributions into land management practices that maintain ecological balance and sustainability.