Contemporary evidence shows biotic factors play a prominent role in the soil health and the provision of soil functions. Herbaceous grassland species differ in their modulation of soil communities, effects on soil components, as well the processes they interact with or regulate. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of different plant species communities on soil health, as quantified by soil physical (water infiltration), chemical (soil organic matter) and biological (Collembola community data) indicators. Data was collected from an existing long-term field trial in the UK, planted to either forb-dominated composition, grass species dominated composition or a multipurpose mixture of forb and grass species. Results showed that plant community can determine soil water infiltration rates, particularly with observed increased soil organic matter (SOM) and epigeic Collembola abundances. The results presented here add evidence that plant communities planted as vegetative buffer strips can be specifically tailored to support soil health development and maintenance.

当代证据表明，生物因素在土壤健康和土壤功能的提供方面发挥着重要作用。草本草原物种的不同之处在于它们对土壤群落的调节、对土壤成分的影响以及它们相互作用或调节的过程。在这项研究中，我们旨在调查不同植物物种群落对土壤健康的影响，通过土壤物理（水分渗透）、化学（土壤有机质）和生物（飞虫群落数据）指标量化。数据是从英国现有的长期田间试验中收集的，种植为以杂草为主的组合、以草种为主的组合或杂草和草种的多用途混合物。结果表明植物群落可以决定土壤水分入渗率，特别是观察到增加的土壤有机质 (SOM) 和表生弹跳虫丰度。这里提供的结果补充了证据，表明作为营养缓冲带种植的植物群落可以专门定制以支持土壤健康发展和维护。