Stand age and soil organic matter management as driven factors of soil biota community composition and soil chemical properties in a subtropical Acrisol

Pyrus pyrifolia is a common temperate fruit crop cultivated in Southern Brazil for fruit production. Although this plant species is found in several Brazilian states (Paraná, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul), it is predominantly concentrated in the smallholder farming system in Santa Catarina, Brazil. Our aim was to compare the soil biota community composition, soil chemical properties, and soil quality in two adjacent stands with different ages. Within each stand, we analysed the influence of four organic residue management practices. Our results indicated that both studied stands, influenced by different organic residue management practices, exhibited differences in soil biota community composition, soil chemical properties, and soil quality. Acaridae, Araneidae, Blattidae, Halictophagidae, and Opiliones were the main contributors, explaining 78.08% of the variance in the data. The 16-year-old stand, with compost utilization, displayed a high biodiversity of soil organisms, average soil chemical properties, and the highest values of soil quality, creating a habitat for predators and providing energy for litter transformers and ecosystem engineers in subtropical Acrisol. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the influence of old stands on soil biota community composition, soil chemical properties, ecosystem homeostasis, herbivory pressure, and prey-predation relationships. This, in turn, may enhance interest in establishing new management plans for Pyrus pyrifolia stands in commercial orchards.