Download - Soil and Biodiversity Bonn - Handout Ritz · 2014-05-21 · PROTOZOA NEMATODES INSECTS ARACHNIDS MOLLUSCS WORMS BACTERIA FUNGI PLANT ROOTS 100,000,000,000 50,000 m 100,000 10,000

COP9 Soil Biodiversity EventBonn, May 22nd 2008

SOIL BIODIVERSITY:THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH

© Karl Ritz, [email protected], 2008 Page 1

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WHAT LIVES BELOW? THE SOIL IS ALIVE!International Day for Biological Diversity

Bonn --- 22nd May 2008

SOIL BIODIVERSITY:

THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH

Karl RitzCranfield University, UK

[email protected]

(Opinions expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission)

SOIL BIOTA

Life in earth… Life on Earth…

NASA

ROLES OF SOIL BIOTA

• “Biological engine of the earth”

• Drives many of the critical processes that occur in soils

• Intimately linked to the delivery of ecosystem goods and services

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

PROVISIONING:

• Food, fibre, fuel

• Water storage

• Platform

SUPPORTING:

• Nutrient cycling

• Soil formation

• Primary production

REGULATING:

• Climate regulation

• Flood regulation

• Water purification

CULTURAL:

• Heritage

• Recreational

• Spiritual

SOIL BIOTA HEAVILY INVOLVED IN ALL OF THESE

SOIL BIOMASS

• Handful of arable soil(c. 200g)…..

• .…approximately0.5 g of fresh biomass(mainly ‘microbial’)

5 tonnes per hectare –equivalent to 100 sheep

grassland – 20 times greater = 2000 sheep per hectare




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SOIL BIODIVERSITY

µm

cm

mm

MAMMALS

PROTOZOANEMATODES

INSECTS

ARACHNIDSMOLLUSCS

WORMS

BACTERIAFUNGIALGAE

SOILBIOMASS

PLANT ROOTS

MAMMALS

PROTOZOANEMATODES

INSECTS

ARACHNIDSMOLLUSCSWORMS

BACTERIAFUNGI

PLANT ROOTS

100,000,000,00050,000 m

100,00010,000

5000

0.001

500 m

# INDIVIDUALS

10,000

100

100

0.001

10

# SPECIES

SOIL BIODIVERSITY

THE SOIL HABITAT

5 cm 5 mm

polished block

0.5 mm

THIN SECTION OF MINERAL SOIL

Bright-field illumination

0.5 mm


Pore map

0.5 mm




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Pore map

LIFE ?

µm

20 µm

NEMATODE

20 µm

BACTERIA

20 µm

FUNGI

FUNGI

(Lewis J Deacon)

20 µm

AMOEBA (PROTOZOA)




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MYXOMYCETEMYXOMYCETE

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THE WORKING ENGINE:FOOD WEBS

PLANT ROOTSSOIL ORGANIC

MATTER

MAMMALS

PROTOZOANEMATODES

INSECTS

ARACHNIDSMOLLUSCS

WORMS

BACTERIA

FUNGICARBON

THE FUEL OF THE SOIL

ENGINE

WHY IS BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANT ?

• Organisms carry out functions

• “Biological toolbox”

• more diverse = more tools

• For now…

• functions needed at present

• For the future…

• potential for future adaptation

• resilience to a changing environment




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POLICY DRIVERS

• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

• crucial role of ecosystem

goods and services

• EU: Soil Thematic Strategy

• recognises need to protect soil

biodiversity

SCIENCE DRIVERS

• Soil is a remarkably complex system

• Soil supports more

diversity than any other habitat – by far

• Immense research

challenge

THERE’S MORE TO SOIL BIODIVERSITY THAN MEETS THE EYE !

RESPECT IT, PROTECT IT AND MANAGE IT !