Inter-row vegetation benefits soil invertebrates in Mediterranean organic vineyards
Abstract
In perennial crops, such as vineyards, permanent inter-row vegetation may help to preserve soil fauna and their associated ecological functions. However, vegetation is often removed by tillage to avoid water competition, even though this practice is recognized to be detrimental for soils and biodiversity. The objective of our study is to assess the effects of an intensity gradient of inter-row management on vegetation, soil chemistry and soil invertebrates. Vegetation, soil, and fauna (i.e. springtails, mites and earthworms) were sampled in 25 organic vineyards located in the Luberon (south-eastern of France). Three management practices were considered: fully vegetated vineyards, one out of two inter-rows vegetated, and fully shallow-tilled vineyards. Shallow tillage had limited direct negative effects on Gamasida mites and Symphypleona springtails only. A path analysis revealed that plant cover and diversity had the strongest effects. Earthworm, in particular Lumbricus terrestris abundance, increased with vegetation cover, and earthworm species richness increased with plant diversity. Moreover, an increased plant species richness had a positive effect on soil organic matter and nutrient content which can be, in turn, beneficial to meso- and macrofauna. This study highlights the importance of reducing the intensity of soil tillage in vineyards and of restoring a diverse inter-row vegetation to improve habitat quality and diversity that are crucial for soil organisms and their associated ecological functions.
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BibTeX
@article{blaya2026interrow,
title = {{Inter-row vegetation benefits soil invertebrates in Mediterranean organic vineyards}},
author = {Romane Blaya and Léo Rocher and Yvan Capowiez and Armin Bischoff and Raphaël Gros and Alexandre Millon and Philippe Ponel and Céline Pelosi and Olivier Blight},
journal = {Journal of Environmental Management},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131106},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05801797v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Inter-row vegetation benefits soil invertebrates in Mediterranean organic vineyards
AU - Romane Blaya
AU - Léo Rocher
AU - Yvan Capowiez
AU - Armin Bischoff
AU - Raphaël Gros
AU - Alexandre Millon
AU - Philippe Ponel
AU - Céline Pelosi
AU - Olivier Blight
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Journal of Environmental Management
DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131106
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05801797v1
AB - In perennial crops, such as vineyards, permanent inter-row vegetation may help to preserve soil fauna and their associated ecological functions. However, vegetation is often removed by tillage to avoid water competition, even though this practice is recognized to be detrimental for soils and biodiversity. The objective of our study is to assess the effects of an intensity gradient of inter-row management on vegetation, soil chemistry and soil invertebrates. Vegetation, soil, and fauna (i.e. springtails, mites and earthworms) were sampled in 25 organic vineyards located in the Luberon (south-eastern of France). Three management practices were considered: fully vegetated vineyards, one out of two inter-rows vegetated, and fully shallow-tilled vineyards. Shallow tillage had limited direct negative effects on Gamasida mites and Symphypleona springtails only. A path analysis revealed that plant cover and diversity had the strongest effects. Earthworm, in particular Lumbricus terrestris abundance, increased with vegetation cover, and earthworm species richness increased with plant diversity. Moreover, an increased plant species richness had a positive effect on soil organic matter and nutrient content which can be, in turn, beneficial to meso- and macrofauna. This study highlights the importance of reducing the intensity of soil tillage in vineyards and of restoring a diverse inter-row vegetation to improve habitat quality and diversity that are crucial for soil organisms and their associated ecological functions.
SN - 0301-4797
SN - 1095-8630
ER -