The recognition of these features, allied to a widespread taxonomic knowledge, makes this group of soil organisms one of the most studied in soil ecology. These facts enhanced their use, since the last two or three decades, as bioindicators of changes in soil quality, especially due to forest and agricultural practices and pollution. Here the use of community structure information can give a more accurate picture of what is happening in the system. The soil system is to complex and the number of abiotic and biotic factors influencing a biological community in a given site is to high to allow generalised predictions, al least on the basis of what we know today. Not only information on the species per se is valuable.
More research is needed in terms of a classification based on ecological groups.
I see the urgent need to develop a Collembola classification based on life history tactics and feeding types, similar to what already exists for Acarina. This would help a lot in the interpretation of ecological results when assessing effects on Collembola communities due to management practices. Moreover, the use of physiological responses data, and the classification of animals according to their physiological response to a defined factor could also help on the interpretation. Impact of reafforestation with Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Collemboles daphiques des Pyr n es.