Understanding the effects of soil management and climate change on soil biodiversity and ecosystem services to promote evidence-based conservation strategies.

Overview and objectives

Summary:

SOILGUARD will deliver evidence-based knowledge regarding sustainable soil management benefits for soil biodiversity and its potential to deliver ecosystem services (ES) (across biomes and…

SOILGUARD will deliver evidence-based knowledge regarding sustainable soil management benefits for soil biodiversity and its potential to deliver ecosystem services (ES) (across biomes and biogeographical regions) under specific stressors derived from climate change.

Objective:

SO1. To increase sustainable soil management and soil biodiversity knowledge cross-fertilization and empowerment of stakeholders by means of the SNoK through capacity development and engagement…

SO1. To increase sustainable soil management and soil biodiversity knowledge cross-fertilization and empowerment of stakeholders by means of the SNoK through capacity development and engagement activities
SO2. To define the current status of soil biodiversity and its contribution to the delivery of soil multifunctionality in relation to SSM and three levels of land degradation for croplands, grasslands and forests .
SO3. To depict the effects of climate change stressors (drought and heatwaves) on soil biodiversity and cascading effects on multifunctionality under different soil management practices
SO4. To assess the effects of land degradation and climate change on the unique contribution of soil biodiversity to environmental, social and economic value
SO5. To quantify the environmental, economic and social consequences of unsustainable soil management and increase the capacity to forecast soil biodiversity and wellbeing responses to environmental challenges by operationalizing evidence chains through predictive models and hypermodels
SO6. To ensure the extension, robustness, and long-standing uptake of the SOILGUARD results by providing the SOILGUARDIANS app beta version, including a cutting-edge forum to share knowledge among users and a Decision Support System
SO7. To provide support to European and international soil biodiversity assessments through the development and validation of a holistic Soil Biodiversity and Wellbeing Framework
SO8. To provide specific policy recommendations and conservation measures to support the wide implementation of SSM for soil biodiversity protection and relevant Member State commitments under the Global Soil Partnership
SO9. Assess the use of soil biodiversity as a Nature Based Solution by means of SSM practices
SO10. To raise social awareness on the benefits provided by biodiversity and its potential as NBS by means of tailor-made dissemination activities