Project Background
Why study soil biodiversity?
- Soil organisms are not mere inhabitants of soil, they are part of it
- Soils are most biodiverse compartments of terrestrial ecosystems (“the poor man’s rainforests”)
- Provide a number of ecosystem services:
- Decomposition of organic matter (“wastes”)
- Nutrient cycling, N fixation
- Soil structure formation, bioturbation
- Biocontrol of plant diseases and pests
- Bioremediation of chemicals, biotechnology
- “Soils – The Final Frontier” (Science 2004)
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| Wardle Et al. (2004) |
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Keystone species in Soils - Key tasks
- Assessment of keystone species concept
- Characterisation of soil biodiversity in selected ecosystems
- Understanding multiple functions of soil biodiversity
- Development of standardised methods
- Identification of keystone species, their indicator value, relationships with other organisms
- Identification of pressures
- Spatial and temporal scales for monitoring
- Recommendations on soil management
