Changes in the composition, abundance and functioning of soil microbial, arable weed and invertebrate assemblages under sustainable compared to conventional arable management will be assessed, using measurements of:

• arable weed seedbanks
• herbivorous, predatory, parasitoid and detritivorous invertebrates, and insect pollinators
• soil microbial community structure and function.

These assessments will be linked to measurements of system functions including nitrogen dynamics, decomposition and predation and pollination rates.

We predict that sustainable management will result in a greater abundance and functional diversity of plant, microbial and invertebrate communities compared to conventional mangement.