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Soil biodiversity and human health
Diana H Wall1, Uffe N Nielsen2, Johan Six3
1School of Global Environmental Sustainability and Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1036, USA.
Nature
|November 24, 2015
Summary
Soil biodiversity supports human health by suppressing pathogens and providing essential resources. Sustainable management can maintain and restore these vital belowground communities for improved well-being.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Ecology
- Human Health
Background:
- Soil biodiversity is crucial for ecosystem services benefiting human health, including disease suppression and provision of clean air, water, and food.
- Global declines in soil biodiversity due to poor land management and environmental change threaten these essential services.
- Current understanding highlights the potential for sustainable practices to maintain and restore soil biodiversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To emphasize the link between soil biodiversity and human health benefits.
- To highlight the negative impacts of land-management practices and environmental change on soil ecosystems.
- To underscore the potential of sustainable soil management for human well-being.
Main Methods:
- Review of current research on soil biodiversity and its ecosystem services.
- Analysis of the impact of land-management practices and environmental change on belowground communities.
- Synthesis of findings on the potential for sustainable management to restore soil biodiversity.
Main Results:
- Soil biodiversity provides significant benefits to human health.
- Detrimental land-management practices and environmental changes are causing widespread declines in soil biodiversity.
- Sustainable management strategies offer a viable pathway for maintaining and restoring soil biodiversity.
Conclusions:
- Protecting and enhancing soil biodiversity is critical for safeguarding human health.
- Improved, ecologically complex soil management practices represent an underutilized resource for public health.
- Sustainable land management is key to preserving the benefits derived from soil ecosystems.
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