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Global hotspots for soil nature conservation.
Carlos A Guerra1,2,3, Miguel Berdugo4, David J Eldridge5
1German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. carlos.guerra@idiv.de.
Nature
|October 12, 2022
Summary
Global soil assessments reveal distinct conservation hotspots for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Protecting these diverse soil functions requires understanding unique regional needs and addressing conservation gaps.
Area of Science:
- Soil science
- Ecology
- Conservation biology
Background:
- Soils are crucial for terrestrial ecosystems, yet global conservation priorities for soil are underdeveloped.
- Existing conservation efforts often overlook the multifaceted nature of soil systems, including biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify global hotspots for soil nature conservation across multiple ecological dimensions.
- To assess the coverage of these hotspots by protected areas and their vulnerability to global change.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a global field survey of topsoil samples (n=615) across all continents.
- Observed soil biodiversity (archaea, bacteria, fungi, protists, invertebrates) and functions critical for ecosystem services.
- Analyzed species richness (alpha diversity), community dissimilarity, and ecosystem service provision.
Main Results:
- Soil ecological dimensions peaked in contrasting global regions: species richness in temperate zones, community dissimilarity in tropics, and ecosystem services in high-latitudes.
- Most identified soil conservation hotspots are inadequately protected (over 70% unprotected).
- These hotspots face significant vulnerability under various global change scenarios.
Conclusions:
- Simultaneously protecting the multiple ecological dimensions of soil presents complex challenges.
- A multidimensional approach to soil biodiversity and ecosystem services is essential for effective soil conservation.
- Urgent conservation strategies are needed to protect vulnerable soil hotspots for future generations.
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