Soil and Biodiversity Bonn - Handout Ritz · 2014-05-21 · PROTOZOA NEMATODES INSECTS ARACHNIDS...
5
COP9 Soil Biodiversity Event Bonn, May 22 nd 2008 SOIL BIODIVERSITY: THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH © Karl Ritz, [email protected], 2008 Page 1 All images © Karl Ritz unless otherwise stated WHAT LIVES BELOW? THE SOIL IS ALIVE! International Day for Biological Diversity Bonn --- 22nd May 2008 SOIL BIODIVERSITY: THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH Karl Ritz Cranfield University, UK [email protected] (Opinions expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission) SOIL BIOTA Life in earth… Life on Earth… NASA ROLES OF SOIL BIOTA • “Biological engine of the earth” • Drives many of the critical processes that occur in soils • Intimately linked to the delivery of ecosystem goods and services ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVISIONING: • Food, fibre, fuel • Water storage • Platform SUPPORTING: • Nutrient cycling • Soil formation • Primary production REGULATING: • Climate regulation • Flood regulation • Water purification CULTURAL: • Heritage • Recreational • Spiritual SOIL BIOTA HEAVILY INVOLVED IN ALL OF THESE SOIL BIOMASS • Handful of arable soil (c. 200g)….. • .…approximately 0.5 g of fresh biomass (mainly ‘microbial’) 5 tonnes per hectare – equivalent to 100 sheep grassland – 20 times greater = 2000 sheep per hectare
Transcript of Soil and Biodiversity Bonn - Handout Ritz · 2014-05-21 · PROTOZOA NEMATODES INSECTS ARACHNIDS...
COP9 Soil Biodiversity EventBonn, May 22nd 2008
SOIL BIODIVERSITY:THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH
© Karl Ritz, [email protected], 2008 Page 1
All
ima
ge
s ©
Ka
rl R
itz u
nle
ss o
the
rwis
e s
tate
d
WHAT LIVES BELOW? THE SOIL IS ALIVE!International Day for Biological Diversity
Bonn --- 22nd May 2008
SOIL BIODIVERSITY:
THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH
Karl RitzCranfield University, UK
(Opinions expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission)
SOIL BIOTA
Life in earth… Life on Earth…
NASA
ROLES OF SOIL BIOTA
• “Biological engine of the earth”
• Drives many of the critical processes that occur in soils
• Intimately linked to the delivery of ecosystem goods and services
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
PROVISIONING:
• Food, fibre, fuel
• Water storage
• Platform
SUPPORTING:
• Nutrient cycling
• Soil formation
• Primary production
REGULATING:
• Climate regulation
• Flood regulation
• Water purification
CULTURAL:
• Heritage
• Recreational
• Spiritual
SOIL BIOTA HEAVILY INVOLVED IN ALL OF THESE
SOIL BIOMASS
• Handful of arable soil(c. 200g)…..
• .…approximately0.5 g of fresh biomass(mainly ‘microbial’)
5 tonnes per hectare –equivalent to 100 sheep
grassland – 20 times greater = 2000 sheep per hectare
COP9 Soil Biodiversity EventBonn, May 22nd 2008
SOIL BIODIVERSITY:THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH
© Karl Ritz, [email protected], 2008 Page 2
All
ima
ge
s ©
Ka
rl R
itz u
nle
ss o
the
rwis
e s
tate
d
SOIL BIODIVERSITY
µm
cm
mm
MAMMALS
PROTOZOANEMATODES
INSECTS
ARACHNIDSMOLLUSCS
WORMS
BACTERIAFUNGIALGAE
SOILBIOMASS
PLANT ROOTS
MAMMALS
PROTOZOANEMATODES
INSECTS
ARACHNIDSMOLLUSCSWORMS
BACTERIAFUNGI
PLANT ROOTS
100,000,000,00050,000 m
100,00010,000
5000
0.001
500 m
# INDIVIDUALS
10,000
100
100
0.001
10
# SPECIES
SOIL BIODIVERSITY
THE SOIL HABITAT
5 cm 5 mm
polished block
0.5 mm
THIN SECTION OF MINERAL SOIL
Bright-field illumination
0.5 mm
THIN SECTION OF MINERAL SOIL
Pore map
0.5 mm
COP9 Soil Biodiversity EventBonn, May 22nd 2008
SOIL BIODIVERSITY:THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH
© Karl Ritz, [email protected], 2008 Page 3
All
ima
ge
s ©
Ka
rl R
itz u
nle
ss o
the
rwis
e s
tate
d
THIN SECTION OF MINERAL SOIL
Pore map
LIFE ?
µm
20 µm
NEMATODE
20 µm
BACTERIA
20 µm
FUNGI
FUNGI
(Lewis J Deacon)
20 µm
AMOEBA (PROTOZOA)
COP9 Soil Biodiversity EventBonn, May 22nd 2008
SOIL BIODIVERSITY:THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH
© Karl Ritz, [email protected], 2008 Page 4
All
ima
ge
s ©
Ka
rl R
itz u
nle
ss o
the
rwis
e s
tate
d
MYXOMYCETEMYXOMYCETE
©Y
oshik
adzu
Em
oto
©Y
oshik
adzu
Em
oto
©Y
oshik
adzu
Em
oto
THE WORKING ENGINE:FOOD WEBS
PLANT ROOTSSOIL ORGANIC
MATTER
MAMMALS
PROTOZOANEMATODES
INSECTS
ARACHNIDSMOLLUSCS
WORMS
BACTERIA
FUNGICARBON
THE FUEL OF THE SOIL
ENGINE
WHY IS BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANT ?
• Organisms carry out functions
• “Biological toolbox”
• more diverse = more tools
• For now…
• functions needed at present
• For the future…
• potential for future adaptation
• resilience to a changing environment
COP9 Soil Biodiversity EventBonn, May 22nd 2008
SOIL BIODIVERSITY:THE BIOLOGICAL ENGINE OF THE EARTH
© Karl Ritz, [email protected], 2008 Page 5
All
ima
ge
s ©
Ka
rl R
itz u
nle
ss o
the
rwis
e s
tate
d
POLICY DRIVERS
• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
• crucial role of ecosystem
goods and services
• EU: Soil Thematic Strategy
• recognises need to protect soil
biodiversity
SCIENCE DRIVERS
• Soil is a remarkably complex system
• Soil supports more
diversity than any other habitat – by far
• Immense research
challenge
THERE’S MORE TO SOIL BIODIVERSITY THAN MEETS THE EYE !
RESPECT IT, PROTECT IT AND MANAGE IT !
