Changes in the structure of ground beetle communities indicate environmental stability or instability influenced by, e.g., urbanization, agriculture, and forestry. It can affect flight capability and ellipsoid biovolume (EV) of ground beetles. Therefore, we analyzed ground beetles in various habitats. In the course of the period from 2015 to 2017, we recorded in pitfall traps 2379 individuals (1030 males and 1349 females) belonging to 52 species at six localities (two rural, two suburban, two urban). We observed the decrease in the average EV value and morphometric characters (length, height, and width of the body) of ground beetles in the direction of the rural–suburban–urban gradient. Our results also suggest a decrease in EV of apterous and brachypterous species and an increase in macropterous species in the urban and suburban landscapes near agricultural fields. The increasing EV of apterous and brachypterous species and the decreasing of macropterous species was observed in rural landscape conditions with not continuous cover forestry and partial forest management. The creation of habitat fragments in urbanized conditions is key to maintaining the average EV in apterous and brachypterous species in urban and suburban landscapes.

Ground beetles (Carabidae) were used to evaluate the bio indication environmental incidence. The ground beetle material (2,341 individuals, 30 species) was collected between 2015 and 2017 using pitfall traps in three types of forest habitats with different disturbance rates. The comparison of carabid’s sensitivity as bio indicators has been evaluated by using three methods: (i) community index of ground beetles (IKS), (ii) ellipsoid biovolume (EV) and (iii) flight ability of the carabids. Using the Monte Carlo permutation test, we did not record the statistically significant changes in IKS values, nor does a change in the representation of carabids in the bioindicative group A, E and R. On the contrary, we confirmed the statistically significant changes in the average values of ellipsoid biovolume in biotopes and between biotopes (the Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis test -ANOVA (p-value = 0.00)). A higher number of macropterous species were recorded in biotopes with high disturbance as compared to the biotopes with low disturbance.

The Carabidae family (Coleoptera) is used frequently for its bioindication potential to detect the environmental burden. In 2013 and 2014, we studied the correlation of Carabidae on the biotopes of six areas in the Veporské vrchy Mts and the Juhoslovenská kotlina basin by using pitfall traps, Möricke plates and Bambara beetle traps. Out of 432 recorded specimens of beetles (53 species, 15 families), the Carabidae family were the highest number of species and specimens represented, with which we confirmed higher anthropogenic interference and disturbance of ecosystems in the Juhoslovenská kotlina basin. This statistic confirms the presence of the following species typically found on arable land: Anchomenus dorsalis, Calathus fuscipes fuscipes, Harpalus affinis and Pseudoophonus rufipes. The ecosystems in the Veporské vrchy Mts region show less disturbance, and the anthropological impact is smaller, indicated by the presence of the Carabus problematicus species, an important indicator of the conservation of natural forest ecosystems.

Changes in the structure of small mammals’ communities (Eulipotyphla, Rodentia) along urban–rural gradient indicate the environmental state of stability or instability. Since small mammals are important with regard to the transmission of diseases to man and domestic animals, therefore knowledge of their association with the landscape structure is needed in land use planning. In course of the period from 2015 to 2017, there were recorded 109 individuals belonging to 15 species at 9 study sites (3 rural, 3 suburban, and 3 urban). We recorded a decrease in the average number of species in the direction of the suburban–urban–rural gradient. The number of individuals decreased in the rural–urban–suburban gradient. Eudominant species Clethrionomys glareolus (D = 20.2%), Microtus arvalis (13.8%), and Sorex araneus (19.3%) preferred the close links between the terms of the rural landscape, while Apodemus agrarius (D = 11.9%) and Sorex minutus (D = 11.0%) preferred the close links between the terms of the urban landscape.

Soil fauna represent an important component of terrestrial ecosystems and serve as sensitive bioindicators of environmental changes and the intensity of anthropogenic disturbances. Our research was conducted between 2020 and 2023 across 15 habitats differing in management intensity. Soil fauna were sampled using pitfall traps. A total of 88,112 individuals belonging to 18 taxa were recorded. Community variability was assessed using redundancy analysis (RDA), which revealed a clear differentiation between managed and unmanaged habitats. The results indicated that more soil fauna preferred more stable and less disturbed environments, whereas managed sites exhibited greater heterogeneity of soil fauna communities. Statistical analyses confirmed significant differences in individual abundance among study areas (1–15), years (2020–2023), and seasons (Friedman test, p = 0.016; Kruskal–Wallis test, p < 0.001), highlighting the substantial influence of habitat characteristics and seasonal dynamics on the structure of soil fauna. The predictive models suggested the persistence of natural population fluctuations without a pronounced long-term decline in abundance. The findings provide valuable information for optimizing habitat management, evaluating the effectiveness of restoration measures, and supporting biodiversity conservation in ecosystems of European importance.