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Interpretation of biological indicators of soil quality depends on their ability to reflect ecological processes such as decomposition and nutrient mineralization. Mineral soils in pairs of relatively undisturbed and disturbed pine forests in each of three land resource regions of North Carolina (i.e., coastal plain, piedmont, and mountains) were monitored 15 times over two years. Abundance of nematodes in 35 families, collembolans in 8 families, and 16 other microarthropod taxa were enumerated. Nematodes were identified only in mineral soil whereas microarthropods were identified separately in litter and mineral soil. Rate (mg lost per day) of cellulose and wood decomposition were estimated based on weight loss of standardized substrates enclosed in litter baskets; available nitrate (NO₃⁻) and ammonium (NH₄⁺) were quantified in soil. Principal components analysis was performed on 59 invertebrate taxa to identify …