Soil microbial communities play a key role in regulation of biochemical cycles, as one of the most important factorsof soil structure formation and maintenanceand as a major determinant of ecosystem productivity and sustainability. Soil management induces changes in composition and activity of microbial communities. In consequence, these changes can affect a great number of soil properties, eventually affecting the soil quality status. As high is the diversity of soil microbes, so high is also the diversity of studies aiming at determination of linkages between changes in soil biota and management practices such as tillage, fertilization, mulching, irrigation and others, and identifying universal bio-indicators of present and past land use. Likewise, major research efforts are dedicated to understanding of how the composition of soil microbes relates to cumulative indices of soil quality such as the activity of soil enzymes, basal respiration, and soil organic matter content, as well as to the functioning, nutrient cycling, and productivity of ecosystems. Of particular interest here are the soil microbes forming symbioses with plant roots, namely the mycorrhizal fungi and symbiotic N2-fixing prokaryotes. These are both rather species-poor groups with widespread occurrence and well-defined roles in the nutrition and growth of plants. This session thus provides a great opportunity to gather the diverse community of scientists studying effects of various soil management practices on soil biota and to discuss future trends in defining broadly-applicable bioindicators of land use and soil quality.