INS 11: State of Knowledge of Global Soil Biodiversity: The Vital Connection Between Science and Policy

Session Organizer(s)

• Monica Farfan

  School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University
  Fort Collins, CO, USA

Moderator(s)

• Monica Farfan

  School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University
  Fort Collins, CO, USA

Volunteer(s)

• Brianne Palmer

  Plant Science, University of California, Davis
  San Diego, California, United States

The relevance of soil biodiversity (microbes to termites), their ecological interactions, global distributions, and role in ecosystem function and services, to land/environmental management, including food production to conservation, has largely been neglected in environmental policies. In response to this, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) coordinated and released in December of 2020 the comprehensive report “State of Knowledge of Soil Biodiversity: Status, Challenges, and Potentialities” at the request of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The first of its kind, the report is a collaborative effort of researchers and entities around the world (The Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, European Commission, Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, and Global Soil Partnership) to gather and synthesize the latest information on global soil biodiversity. In this session, we provide a forum for discussion of the report findings, as well as areas where increased research is needed. Contributors to the report will discuss the necessity and importance of the report, some of its findings, and emergent priorities such as the development of soil biodiversity monitoring programs and linkages to soils and ecosystem function. Ignite-style talks and open discussion with presenters and attendees will explore how to address the gaps and opportunities highlighted in the report, and the need for monitoring soil biodiversity around the globe.

Presentations:

• ON DEMAND

  Does soil biodiversity mediate ecosystem responses to land-use and climate changes?
  

  Presenting Author: André Franco – Department of Biology, Colorado State University
• ON DEMAND

  Expanding education about the state of soil biodiversity
  

  Presenting Author: Loren B. Byrne – Department of Biology, Marine Biology and Environmental Science, Roger Williams University
• ON DEMAND

  Linking global soil biodiversity to ecosystem functioning
  

  Presenting Author: Nico Eisenhauer – German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
• ON DEMAND

  Next steps for global soil biodiversity
  

  Presenting Author: Diana H. Wall – Department of Biology & School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University
• ON DEMAND

  Soil biodiversity supports ecosystem services to achieve global sustainability
  

  Presenting Author: Elizabeth Bach – The Nature Conservancy
• ON DEMAND

  Translating scientific research for policy requires buy-in from all sides
  

  Presenting Author: Kelly S. Ramirez – Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso