Soil formation is crucial for successful reclamation of industrial affected land. Companies are anxious to obtain ecological data indicating success of their remediation efforts. Soil fauna are a vital part of soil ecosystem function, actively involved in decomposition, nutrient cycling and soil formation. Soil mesofauna are an abundant and species-rich group of organisms in soil that may also provide a useful function as biological indicators of habitat disturbance, soil quality and reclamation success. The primary objective of this study was to compare soil mesofauna communities among natural and reclaimed sites and establish baseline data to allow for long-term monitoring of recolonization on disturbed sites. Reclamation prescription significantly influenced density and community structure of soil mesofauna. Densities were greater in natural soils than in reclaimed soils and community structure differed between natural and reclaimed soils. Integration of this biological data with other monitored soil properties should provide a better overall indication of soil ecosystem recovery and reclamation success.