Soil invertebrates and heavy metal concentrations are heterogeneously distrib-uted in the soil of steppe plots surrounding an iron mining enterprise in southe Russia.This study assesses whether patches of high soil invertebrate abundance coincide with patches of low concentrations of pollutants.For this aim.spatial analysis by distance indices(SADIE)was applied.Three valleys in Belogorye Nature Reserve were chosen.One valley faced the tailing pond to the north and the other two faced south-east or South-west.Two sampling plots were chosen in each valley,60 m apart from each other.One very plot 16 soil corcs were collected from a grid of 4×4 units with a 5-m distance between each sample unit.Each Soil core had an area of 76cm2 and was 12-15 cnldeep.All macroinvertebrates were hand-sorted-and identified to family.Abundance of Soil invertebrates was not controlled by patches of rectal concentration in the soil.Epigaeic groups.like insects and other invertebrates inhabiting the litter layer.were not directly associated with local parameters of the soil.On the contrary.belowground invertebrate abundance(elaterid larvae and earthworms)showed significant dissociation with some heavy metal(Fe,Pb,Zn)concentrations in the soil.The patchiness of soil pollution may act as a leading factor of belowground soilinvertebrate distribution.The spatial structure of animal populations in industrially transformed soils needs further research.