Aplicación del Índice Universal de Macroinvertebrados para medir la calidad del suelo en dos sitios de Costa Rica

<p><span>Amidst the urgent efforts to mitigate climate change, correct soil management is vital, since this ecosystem is one of the largest carbon fixers in the biosphere. Healthy soils have proven to be efficient carbon sinks, so it is important to have a methodology that is economical, easy to apply, and has comparable results with other sites. It has been shown that soil macroinvertebrates are accurate indicators of soil quality because their biodiversity is synonymous with ecosystem health, making their measurement an important option to improve soils. <strong>Objective: </strong>To compare the soil quality of a pasture with rational management for sustainable livestock farming promoted by the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and a natural forest using the Universal Macroinvertebrate Index Methodology (ISO 23611-5 /TSBF sampling).<span>  </span><strong>Method: </strong><span> </span>The </span><span>ISO 23611-5</span><span> /TSBF methodology (2011) was used in two sites in Guápiles; in a pasture managed as part of a sustainable cattle project and in a nearby forest.<span>  </span></span><strong><span>Results</span></strong><span>: A total of 2074 macroinvertebrates were collected, representing 10 taxa, where the pasture with trees has an index of 0,60 and the tropical forest has an index of 0,66.<span>  </span><strong>Conclusion:<span>  </span></strong>It is concluded that the management practices used in the pasture are effective in maintaining its carbon-fixing capacities.<span>  </span>Also, the innovative methodology was useful to measure the impact of different managements on the soil but adequate training is required for its application. </span></p>