BHU scientists identify global hotspots for soil conservation

Varanasi: In a first, a team of international researchers, including scientists of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has identified global soil hotspots that are in urgent need of conservation.
The findings were part of a research conducted by 39 scientists from different countries including Jay Prakash Verma of BHU’s Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development and his research scholar Arpan Mukherjee. The work has been published in the internationally reputed scientific journal Nature.
Verma said the research team recognised the global hotspots that must be of the highest importance for soil nature conservation planning, to minimise adverse impacts on soil ecosystem services and its productivity in a rapidly changing global climate.
The study assessed the global hotspots for preserving soil ecological values and measured different dimensions of soil biodiversity and ecosystem services like water regulation or carbon storage.
Verma informed the study surveyed over 10,000 observations of biodiversity and indicators of ecosystem services within 615 soil samples taken from 151 locations in 23 countries across all continents, assessing three soil ecological factors, including local species richness, biodiversity uniqueness and ecosystem services, such as water regulation and carbon storage.
Verma, who works at the Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory of BHU, said soil is the most important natural resource for providing all ecosystem services for human and all living beings.
“The soils are home to billions of earthworms, nematodes, insects, fungi, bacteria and many other organisms. Yet, we are hardly aware of these organisms or their profound impacts on ecosystems,” he said, adding that without soil, there would be little life on land and surely no humans. In fact, most of the food consumed depends directly or indirectly on soil fertility.
However, soils are also rapidly becoming vulnerable to climate and land-use change. To better conserve soil ecological values, it must be known where their protection is needed most, the scientist said.
He said the study reveals that soil biodiversity and ecosystem services of soil are often overlooked in policy and decision-making and nature conservation planning, with current conservation policies focused on only aboveground plants and animals while the below ground soil biodiversity is also very important for soil conservation and its productivity and sustainability.
According to him, the study provides scientific support for researchers, scientists and policy makers for urgent action on soil biodiversity conservation for preservation of ecosystem services such as climate regulation and protection for biodiversity loss and environmental pollution. The research recommends implementation of a policy-framework that explicitly includes the conservation of soil biodiversity, which is critical for minimising the impact of global changes on ecosystem services, agriculture productivity and restoring degraded environment.
BHU’s contribution to this research was funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Science and Engineering Research Board, New Delhi and the Institution of Eminence Initiative, BHU.