The role of soils in habitat creation, maintenance and restoration

Restoring soil biodiversity

Soil health is crucial for all terrestrial life, supporting, among other processes, food production, water purification and carbon sequestration. Soil biodiversity - the variety of life within soils - is key to these processes and thus key to soil restoration. Human activities that degrade ecosystems threaten soil biodiversity and associated ecosystem processes. Indeed, 75% of the world's soils are affected by degradation - a figure that could rise to 90% by 2050 if deforestation, overgrazing, urbanisation and other harmful practices persist. Restoring soil biodiversity is a prerequisite for planetary health, and it comes with many challenges and opportunities. Soil directly supports around 60% of all species on Earth, and land degradation poses a major problem for this biodiversity and the ecosystem services that sustain human populations. Indeed, 98% of human calories come from soil, and earthworms alone underpin 6.5% of the world's grain production. Moreover, the total carbon in terrestrial ecosystems is around 3,170 gigatons (1 gigaton (Gt) = 1 billion metric tons), of which approximately 80% (2,500 Gt) is found in soil. Therefore, restoring soil biodiversity is not just a human need but an ecological and Earth-system imperative. It is pivotal for maintaining ecosystem resilience, sustaining agricultural productivity and mitigating climate change impacts.

Role of Soil Microbiota Enzymes in Soil Health and Activity Changes Depending on Climate Change and the Type of Soil Ecosystem

The extracellular enzymes secreted by soil microorganisms play a pivotal role in the decomposition of organic matter and the global cycles of carbon (C), phosphorus (P), and nitrogen (N), also serving as indicators of soil health and fertility. Current research is extensively analyzing these microbial populations and enzyme activities in diverse soil ecosystems and climatic regions, such as forests, grasslands, tropics, arctic regions and deserts. Climate change, global warming, and intensive agriculture are altering soil enzyme activities. Yet, few reviews have thoroughly explored the key enzymes required for soil fertility and the effects of abiotic factors on their functionality. A comprehensive review is thus essential to better understand the role of soil microbial enzymes in C, P, and N cycles, and their response to climate changes, soil ecosystems, organic farming, and fertilization. Studies indicate that the soil temperature, moisture, water content, pH, substrate availability, and average annual temperature and precipitation significantly impact enzyme activities. Additionally, climate change has shown ambiguous effects on these activities, causing both reductions and enhancements in enzyme catalytic functions.

Automated high-content image-based characterization of microorganism behavioral diversity and distribution

Microorganisms have evolved complex systems to respond to environmental signals. Gradients of particular molecules and elemental ions alter the behavior of microbes and their distribution within their environment. Microdevices coupled with automated image-based methods are now employed to analyze the instantaneous distribution and motion behaviors of microbial species in controlled environments at small temporal scales, mimicking, to some extent, macro conditions. Such technologies have so far been adopted for investigations mainly on individual species. Similar versatile approaches must now be developed for the characterization of multiple and complex interactions between a microbial community and its environment. Here, we provide a comprehensive step-by-step method for the characterization of species-specific behavior in a synthetic mixed microbial suspension in response to an environmental driver. By coupling accessible microfluidic devices with automated image analysis approaches, we evaluated the behavioral response of three morphologically different telluric species (Phytophthora parasitica, Vorticella microstoma, Enterobacter aerogenes) to a potassium gradient driver. Using the TrackMate plug-in algorithm, we performed morphometric and then motion analyses to characterize the response of each microbial species to the driver. Such an approach enabled to confirm the different morphological features of the three species and simultaneously characterize their specific motion in reaction to the driver and their co-interaction dynamics. By increasing the complexity of suspensions, this approach could be integrated in a framework for phenotypic analysis in microbial ecology research, helping to characterize how key drivers influence microbiota assembly at microbiota host-environment interfaces.

Distribution of soil macrofauna across different habitats in the Eastern European Alps

Macro-invertebrates are important components of soil ecosystems as they provide a wide range of crucial functions and ecosystem services. Knowledge on their distribution in mountain soils is scarce despite the importance of such soils for people living in mountain regions as well as downstream. The present dataset contains records on soil macro-invertebrates belonging to nineteen taxa listed at class or order level and earthworms listed at species level from 22 different habitat types characteristic for the Eastern European Alps. Data were collected over a period of more than 30 years (1987–2020) following a standard protocol. We compiled 1572 single records from 241 unique sampling sites, providing default site parameters (GPS coordinates, habitat type, type of management, elevation, exposition, inclination, bedrock, soil type following WRB classification). Such data are important to analyse global trends and macroecological patterns and to set a basis for tracking long-term changes in macrofauna composition. In addition, this dataset will add to the still sparse knowledge on the occurrence and abundance of alpine soil fauna taxa.

Measurement(s)	abundances of soil animals
Technology Type(s)	soil samples
Factor Type(s)	NONE
Sample Characteristic - Organism	Lumbricidae • Arthropoda • Mollusca
Sample Characteristic - Environment	Alpine habitats
Sample Characteristic - Location	European Alps

The role of soils in the regulation of hazards and extreme events

The frequency and intensity of natural hazards and extreme events has increased throughout the last century, resulting in adverse socioeconomic and ecological impacts worldwide. Key factors driving this increase include climate change, the growing world population, anthropogenic activities and ecosystem degradation. One ecologically focused approach that has shown potential towards the mitigation of these hazard events is the concept of nature's contributions to people (or NCP), which focuses on enhancing the material and non-material benefits of an ecosystem to reduce hazard vulnerability and enhance overall human well-being. Soils, in particular, have been identified as a key ecosystem component that may offer critical hazard regulating functionality. Thus, this review investigates the modulating role of soils in the regulation of natural hazards and extreme events, with a focus on floods, droughts, landslides and sand/dust storms, within the context of NCP. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.

The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People

This theme issue provides an assessment of the contribution of soils to Nature's Contributions to People (NCP). The papers in this issue show that soils can contribute positively to the delivery of all NCP. These contributions can be maximized through careful soil management to provide healthy soils, but poorly managed, degraded or polluted soils may contribute negatively to the delivery of NCP. Soils are also shown to contribute positively to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Papers in the theme issue emphasize the need for careful soil management. Priorities for soil management must include: (i) for healthy soils in natural ecosystems, protect them from conversion and degradation, (ii) for managed soils, manage in a way to protect and enhance soil biodiversity, health, productivity and sustainability and to prevent degradation, and (iii) for degraded soils, restore to full soil health. Our knowledge of what constitutes sustainable soil management is mature enough to implement best management practices, in order to maintain and improve soil health. The papers in this issue show the vast potential of soils to contribute to NCP. This is not only desirable, but essential to sustain a healthy planet and if we are to deliver sustainable development in the decades to come. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.

Soil-derived Nature's Contributions to People and their contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

This special issue provides an assessment of the contribution of soils to Nature's Contributions to People (NCP). Here, we combine this assessment and previously published relationships between NCP and delivery on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to infer contributions of soils to the SDGs. We show that in addition to contributing positively to the delivery of all NCP, soils also have a role in underpinning all SDGs. While highlighting the great potential of soils to contribute to sustainable development, it is recognized that poorly managed, degraded or polluted soils may contribute negatively to both NCP and SDGs. The positive contribution, however, cannot be taken for granted, and soils must be managed carefully to keep them healthy and capable of playing this vital role. A priority for soil management must include: (i) for healthy soils in natural ecosystems, protect them from conversion and degradation; (ii) for managed soils, manage in a way to protect and enhance soil biodiversity, health and sustainability and to prevent degradation; and (iii) for degraded soils, restore to full soil health. We have enough knowledge now to move forward with the implementation of best management practices to maintain and improve soil health. This analysis shows that this is not just desirable, it is essential if we are to meet the SDG targets by 2030 and achieve sustainable development more broadly in the decades to come. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of soils in delivering Nature's Contributions to People'.