Luis Andre Mendes - Give and Take: the role of mesofauna and earthworms in soil health

CEDRIC Webinar: Soil Health & Biodiversity.
Dr. Luis Andre Mendes, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain speaks on
"Give and Take: the role of mesofauna and earthworms in soil health".
Brief Abstract
Intensive farming, with pesticide use and limited resting periods, degrades soil structure, disrupts ecosystem balance, and heightens climate vulnerability, reducing crop productivity and demanding solutions.
Mesofauna could promote agrosustainability acting as:
• Ecotoxicological test targets, to assess contamination by
pesticides, metals and microplastics.
• Bioindicators, to monitor soil properties such as organic
matter, pH and moisture.
• Active soil builders, improving aeration, microbial
colonization, enzymatic activity and food web
development.
• Bioaccumulators of contaminants, sequestering metals
and improving soil health.
This talk will explore these aspects through case studies, highlighting the benefits of mesofauna and earthworms in sustainable soil management.