The relevance of the Rio-Convention on biodiversity to conserving the biodiversity of soils

Abstract

Nowhere in nature are species so densely packed as in soil communities. A large number of animal phyla and a diverse microflora are represented and these comprise a considerable part of any country's biodiversity. There are three main reasons for protecting soil biodiversity, (i) Ecological reasons: Decomposition and soil formation are key processes in nature and represent `ecological services' for the rest of the ecosystem. Soil organisms also represent the base for several above-ground food chains and the majority of terrestrial insects are soil dwellers for at least some stage in their life cycle, (ii) Utilitarian reasons: Soil biodiversity form the basis of agriculture, some medicines, and research in ecology and other disciplines and (iii) Ethical reasons: All life forms can be said to have an inherent value. Many groups of soil organisms are very old in evolutionary terms. Soil biodiversity must be included in the national strategies for long-term preservation of biodiversity to be developed following the Rio-Convention on Biodiversity. This implies both pure conservation measures and sustainable use of soils. Conservation measures must include identification and protection of sites with unique, endemic or threatened soil communities. Other targets could be rare soil types or intact soil profiles. Soil biodiversity is generally high in forests which may represent `hot spots' in agricultural landscapes. Measures for sustainable use must aim at keeping the biodiversity of agricultural and forest soils as high as possible. Chemicals and other treatments, which reduce soil biodiversity, should preferably be avoided. Conservation of soil biodiversity is a new and challenging field, for soil biologists, conservation biology, and local, national and international authorities. There is a great need for strengthening both basic and applied soil biology, including taxonomy and soil biologists should start the process by publicising the role, great complexity and threats to soil communities.