The effects of ecological vs. conventional farming on several biological, chemical and physical soil properties were investigated at the arable test site Gülzow (Northeast Germany). After ten years of ecological farming increased activities of dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase and alkaline phosphatase in the soil were measured. Low effects on the chemical soil properties like content of Corg, Nt and soil organic matter and no signifi-cant effects on physical soil properties like density, porosity and water retention were observed