Speaker
Description
The decline in biodiversity in conjunction with global change poses a threat to human well-being. Soils are home to c. 60 % of species on earth but our knowledge of soil biodiversity change and its drivers is limited. Long-term monitoring data are needed but are scarce or have not yet been analyzed. Here, we present analyses of over 30 years of soil biodiversity monitoring in Germany.
In c. 800 plots, physico-chemical and biological parameters of soils have been monitored, partly since 1985. These plots were established in three major land-use types, i.e., agriculture, forest, and grassland, and are monitored in set intervals every few years. We have aggregated and harmonized all data and used time-series and meta-analytical tools to statistically analyze the data. In addition, we performed a literature synthesis of available temporal trends.
We show how earthworm diversity in Germany’s long-term observational sites, as well as micro-, meso-, and macrofauna based on literature changed over time. In addition, we link changes in these soil biodiversity variables to important drivers, such as soil pH, nutrients, and pollution. We are able to show how these drivers interact with land-use type. Lastly, we present a statistical approach to deal with heterogeneous monitoring data.
Taken together, we present the first time-series of soil biodiversity change for Germany and make a case for the importance of soil monitoring. Furthermore, we show how our results can inform assessments on the state and change of biodiversity, potentially resulting in policies to protect and restore soil biodiversity.
| Status Group | Postdoctoral Researcher |
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