Summary
This collaborative European Commission atlas synthesises global knowledge on soil biodiversity, mapping the distribution and composition of soil organism communities across diverse ecosystems and climatic zones. It serves as a reference resource documenting the state of soil biological diversity, which underpins nutrient cycling, soil structure maintenance, and crop productivity. The work underscores the critical but often overlooked role of soil organisms in sustaining agricultural and natural systems.
UK applicability
The atlas provides baseline reference data applicable to UK soil conditions and temperate agricultural systems, supporting evidence-based soil management and informing UK policy on soil protection and sustainable farming practices.
Key measures
Spatial distribution of soil fauna groups (nematodes, arthropods, earthworms, microorganisms); biodiversity indices; functional group composition; geographic variation in soil biological communities
Outcomes reported
The atlas mapped and characterised soil biodiversity across global agricultural and natural ecosystems, synthesising data on key soil organism groups and their spatial distribution. It assessed the status and variability of soil biological communities as a foundation for understanding soil health and ecosystem function.
Topic tags
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