activity, such as inappropriate agricultural and forestry practices, industrial activities, tourism or urban development”. These activities are damaging the soil's capacity to fully perform its broad range of crucial
functions. The use of pesticides in agriculture is considered by the EU technical working group established under the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection as a potential threat which can affect soil biodiversity
and its functioning (Martin-Laurent et al., 2010). However, divergent research findings have been reported (Hussain et al., 2009), indicating that pesticide residues could be a carbon or energy source for microorganisms, or they could be harmful to soil microorganisms. Factors such as soil properties and the nature and concentration of the pesticide used
could contribute to determining the effect of pesticides on the soil's microbial
structure and functioning.