Though herbicides like glyphosate are widely used in the conventional production of bananas, their long-term impacts on soil organisms in the field remains complex and controversial. A study conducted on banana plantations in Martinique examined how herbicide usage shape soil arthropod communities like ants, spiders, beetles, and millipedes that contribute to nutrient cycling and pest control. 

Researchers sampled macro-arthropods with pitfall traps in 13 banana fields managed in three experimental groups: no herbicides, 2–3 applications per year, or 4–5 applications per year. They also measured soil and site conditions across each site. More than 6,200 individual organisms were collected, and 100+ species were identified during the study. Scientists found that local diversity consistently declined with herbicide use. Overall species richness per trap was 21% lower in sprayed plots and all trophic groups lost species in high-spray fields, with richness of herbivores and decomposers reduced by about 55% compared to herbicide-free plots. 

In addition to decreasing the number of species present, the use of pesticides also shifted the types of organisms that were present. Predator, herbivore, and decomposer abundances all declined with frequent spraying, whereas generalist omnivores (such as some crickets) increased, suggesting a bottom-up cascade effect where weed removal reduces food and habitat for decomposers and herbivores, which then reduces predators and alters the entire soil food web. 

This study highlights a key biodiversity benefit of organic systems. The resulting richer, more native-dominated soil communities present in herbicide free systems have the capacity to strengthen ecosystem services like pest regulation and nutrient cycling, ultimately supporting a more sustainable and ecologically focused food system.