Interactions between soil fauna and soil microorganisms are not fully recognized, especially in extreme environments, such as long-term metal-polluted soils. The purpose of the study was to assess how the presence of Lasius niger ants affected soil microbial characteristics in a long-term metal-polluted area (Upper Silesia in Poland). Paired soil samples were taken from bulk soil and from ant nests and analysed for a range of soil physicochemical properties, including metal content (zinc, cadmium, and lead). Microbial analysis included soil microbial activity (soil respiration rate), microbial biomass (substrate-induced respiration rate), and bacteria catabolic properties (Biolog^® ECO plates). Soil collected from ant nests was drier and was characterized by a lower content of organic matter, carbon and nitrogen contents, and also lower metal content than bulk soil. Soil microbial respiration rate was positively related to soil pH (p = 0.01) and negatively to water-soluble metal content, integrated into TI_ws index (p = 0.01). Soil microbial biomass was negatively related to TI_ws index (p = 0.04). Neither soil microbial activity and biomass nor bacteria catabolic activity and diversity indices differed between bulk soil and ant nests. Taken together, ant activity reduced soil contamination by metals in a microscale which support microbial community activity and biomass but did not affect Biolog® culturable bacteria.

土壤动物与土壤微生物之间的相互作用尚未得到充分认识，尤其是在极端环境中，例如长期受金属污染的土壤。该研究的目的是评估Lasius niger蚂蚁的存在如何影响长期金属污染地区（波兰上西里西亚）的土壤微生物特征。从大块土壤和蚂蚁巢中采集成对的土壤样本，并分析了一系列土壤理化特性，包括金属含量（锌、镉和铅）。微生物分析包括土壤微生物活性（土壤呼吸率）、微生物生物量（底物诱导呼吸率）和细菌分解代谢特性（^Biolog®生态板）。从蚂蚁巢穴收集的土壤较干燥，其有机质含量、碳和氮含量以及金属含量均低于大块土壤。土壤微生物呼吸速率与土壤 pH 值呈正相关 ( p = 0.01)，与水溶性金属含量呈负相关，综合到TI _ws指数 ( p = 0.01)。土壤微生物生物量与TI _ws指数呈负相关（p= 0.04）。大块土壤和蚂蚁巢穴之间的土壤微生物活性和生物量以及细菌分解代谢活性和多样性指数均无差异。综上所述，蚂蚁活动在微观尺度上减少了金属对土壤的污染，支持微生物群落活动和生物量，但不影响 Biolog® 可培养细菌。