Soil living organisms are essential for food production by recycling organic matter and providing sustainable plant nutrients. Agricultural practices may degrade soil life, by actually precise knowledge on the impact of cropping is poorly known at the microscale, in micro- and macro-aggregates. The article by Constancias et al. reveals that cropping highly reduced bacterial density and diversity at the microscale, compared to bulk soils. The findings show that cropping practices that preserve aggregate stability should be favoured to preserve soil microbial diversity, and in turn fertility and food production.
