Using biological indicators to assess the health of forest soils

Publication date: 04-02-2026
Extent: 36 pages

Contributions by: Weixin Zhang and Cancan Zhao, Henan University, China; Bin Wang, Xin Sun and Zhipeng Li, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Tao Liu, National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry and Ecology in South China and Central South University of Forestry and Technology, China; Xiao Zhang, Northwest A&F University, China; Yuanhu Shao, Zhifeng Shen and Shenglei Fu, Henan University, China; and Yiqing Li, University of Hawaii at Hilo, USA

Chapter synopsis:

In this study, we define forest soil health as “the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains native biodiversity, ecological balances, and ecosystem services in forests.” Soil health, a cornerstone of forest ecosystem health, has seen its assessment methods evolve from traditional chemical and physical property measurements to include comprehensive assessments that incorporate biological indicators. The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate the challenges facing forest soil health, how to evaluate forest soil health based on biological indicators, and the issues that need to be considered, with the aim of providing valuable insights for ultimately constructing a simple and effective biological-based forest soil health indicator system.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2025.0159.16