DIN EN ISO 23611-5:2013-05

This part of ISO 23611 specifies a method for sampling, extracting and preserving macro-invertebrates from soils, including the litter zone as a prerequisite for using these animals as bio-indicators (for example, to assess the quality of a soil as a habitat for organisms). This method is based on guidelines developed under the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Program (TSBF method). With this method a rapid assessment (completing the sampling of a plot in one or two days with only basic equipment and a small number of field assistants) and the ability to address all the taxonomic groups of soil macro-invertebrates at the same time and in the same place. The TSBF method has evolved that it can be used in temperate regions. The sampling and extraction methods in this part of ISO 23611 are applicable to almost all types of soil. The exceptions maybe soils in extreme climatic conditions (hard, frozen or flooded soils) and matrices other than soil, for example, tree trunks, plants or lichens. This methods is required for the following purposes: - biological classification of soils, including soil quality assessment; - terrestrial bio-indication and long-term monitoring. Data collected using standardized methods can be evaluated more accurately as it allows more reliable comparison between sites (for example, polluted vs. non-polluted sites, changes in land-use practices). Soils of the world host an abundance of highly diverse macro-invertebrate communities. Their biology and ecology have been widely studied. Soil invertebrates are irreplaceable actors of soil formation and conservation in natural ecosystems. Their relevance to the soil system comes from their abundance and diversity, and also from their role in key biological processes. They are sensitive indicators of soil quality and recognized agents of its fertility. Among the wide diversity of species, adaptive strategies and size ranges represented, one specific group, also called "soil ecosystem engineers", includes large invertebrates that actually determine the activities of other smaller organisms through the mechanical activities they produce in soil. Soil macro-invertebrates span a wide range of ecological functions in soil: - decomposition of organic matter, through their own activity and by stimulating the soil's microbiological activity, - predation that plays an important part in food webs, - soil aggregation by the production of organo-mineral structures (for example, nests, galleries, casts) that can last for days, months or years, and - soil bioturbation. These characteristics, coupled with in-depth taxonomic knowledge, has enabled their use as study organisms in several research programmes dealing with the impacts of forest practices or crop management practices. These features make them suitable organisms for use as bio-indicators of changes in soil quality, especially with respect to land-use practices and pollution. The responsible committee is NA 119-01-02-04 UA "Biologische Verfahren" ("Biological Methods") at DIN.