Agricultural expansion is a major driver of deforestation which has negative consequences for biodiversity and habitat stability. While sustainable farming is known to be beneficial for biodiversity and crop resilience, little is known about the impact of macrofauna and land‐use intensity on soil quality. In this study, we examine the relative effects of (a) soil macrofauna and (b) land use (primary forest, agroforestry, and annual crop) on element depletion rates, concentration, and exchangeability in standardized soil. We used microcosms with two different mesh sizes, 0.25 mm and 5 mm, to exclude and include macrofauna, respectively. The microcosms were incubated for up to a year throughout which samples were collected without replacement. Macrofauna did not have a significant impact on any of the soil parameters which is likely to be due to the low diversity of termites in the sites. Land‐use intensity significantly affected cation depletion rates whose effects increased in order of primary forest<agroforestry<annual crop. At the end of the study, soil Mg⁺² concentration and Ca/Mg ratio in the agroforestry site differed from other land‐use sites. Our results suggest that both bottom‐up and top‐down interactions have major effects on soil conditions, and the results should therefore be used to advise future research and policy around land‐use management.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.