THE ROLE OF MARGINAL AREAS FOR AGROECOSYSTEM AND SOIL HEALTH: AN ASSESSMENT THROUGH ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS

In recent decades, the demand for sustainability in the agricultural sector has significantly increased leading to a growing use of tools such as indices and indicators for their measurement. Many techniques are being studied to mitigate the effects of climate change, including the diversification of cropping systems. Diversification in orchards is possible due to marginal areas, characterised by lack of production, such as inter-rows and field edges. The first area, spanning 2.5 to 4.5 meters in width, multiplied by fruit trees rows, is the most representative. It also serves as a potential carbon storage site, remaining undisturbed throughout the orchard’s lifespan. The aim of this study is to deepen and develop indicators to monitor and evaluate the evolution of the inter-row in apple and blueberry orchards following the sowing of cover crops selected to perform specific ecological functions. Additionally, the study aims to assess the carbon storage capacity at two soil depths. The indicators used include carbon content, bulk density, C/N ratio, QBS-ar and VEFSI index. The latter is based on five ecological functions related to the presence of specific functional traits, measured by the abundance of species and the associated total coverage, highlighting their extent.