IntroductionAssessing whether land-use practices promote soil sustainability is increasingly important as agricultural technologies aim to support long-term soil health. Soil mesofauna provide valuable indicators of these patterns, yet species-level assessment is labor-intensive and requires specialist expertise. Trait-based approaches such as QBS-ar offer a simplified alternative, but their performance across contrasting land-use systems remains insufficiently understood.MethodsWe examined mesofaunal communities in two experiments applying conservation-oriented management: conventional versus regenerative agriculture, and diverse forestry treatments contrasted with continuous-cover forests. Taxonomic indicators (species richness, diversity, density) were assessed alongside trait- and ecomorphology-based measures (QBS-ar, life-form traits, and ecomorphological groups) to determine which metrics most effectively reflect management impacts.ResultsMesofaunal responses varied markedly between land-use types. In intensively managed agricultural systems, species richness, density, and functional responses derived from ecomorphological groups and life-form traits were sensitive to management intensity, whereas in forest environments, although initial disturbances were strong, responses were weaker and more variable because recovery processes were already underway. Seasonal sampling was essential, as indicator sensitivity varied across taxa.DiscussionOverall, traditional metrics such as density and species richness may fail to detect management effects in structurally complex or lightly disturbed systems. In contrast, QBS-ar provided a rapid and broadly applicable assessment of disturbance, while other trait-based measures captured subtle functional responses across seasons and land-use types, highlighting their value as complementary tools for soil biodiversity monitoring.