SSBEF syntheses

Integrating concepts of biodiversity in soils and sediments: a transdisciplinary assessment of the most critical taxa, functions and habitats for sustainability, their vulnerability and management options

Final workshop: October 20-23, 2002, at Aspen Lodge, Estes Park, Colorado, USA

The SSBEF syntheses have advanced understanding and identified major gaps in knowledge and research priorities in three overarching areas:
1. The importance of soil and sediment biodiversity and ecosystem functioning within domains
Keystone functional groups were identified within each domain. Comparisons between all domains revealed that, in general, the keystone ecosystem functions were strikingly similar in all domains, although the taxa involved were sometimes remarkably different. Thus, there appear to be universally important functions performed across all domains and these contribute to vital ecosystem goods and services (Table 1). For example, in all domains many species are part of a complex foodweb that decays organic matter—by shredding, ripping, or dissolving it—and thus recycles soil nutrients to living plants and releases carbon dioxide and sequesters carbon. Other species in both soils and sediments filter particles from water and influence its flow, cleansing and purifying water and playing a pivotal role in the earth’s hydrological cycle.

2. The importance of soil and sediment biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across domains
Collaboration of scientists from all domains proved crucial to highlighting that below-surface species and the processes they regulate do not operate in just one domain (e.g. exclusively soils, freshwater sediments or marine sediments). These species play a critical role by crossing and connecting domains, thus regulating essential global cycles that contribute to the stabilization of earth’s climate and the maintenance of functioning ecosystems. The committee found that integrated knowledge, research and management of the domain interfaces was severely lacking and set this as a major research priority in order to maintain the high diversity and important functions in soils and sediments.

3. Threats to soil and sediment biodiversity and their functioning
The SSBEF workshops revealed that across all domains, global change poses a significant threat to below-surface biodiversity and the ecosystem functions they regulate. There was evidence across domains that land use change (including deforestation, overfishing, damming of rivers, agricultural intensification, pollution and increased trampling), invasive species and climate change can shift species composition, eliminate species and reduce diversity at local to regional scales (Wolters et al., 2000; Lake et al., 2000; Smith et al., 2000; Wall et al., 2001b). The loss of populations and species at local and regional scales threatens biodiversity, since it reduces genetic diversity, foreclosing opportunities for evolution and homogenizing biodiversity across the landscape. Whether species become globally extinct depends on the geographical extent of their range relative to that of the disturbance. But quantitative data at large biogeographic scales is incomplete and was identified as a research priority. The SSBEF Committee determined that across all domains, current and predicted global change effects on below-surface biodiversity are, and will be, manifested largely through changes to above-surface habitats and biodiversity. These above-surface changes will transform the below-surface physical-chemical environment, alter the transfer of nutrients and other resources belowground, and decouple species-specific interactions.

Specific information on the vulnerability of the most important below-surface taxa and functions to global change and how this might be ameliorated by management options was considered an urgent priority for further research and synthesis.

The Need for an Integrated Assessment of the Most Critical Below-surface Taxa, Functions and Habitats for Sustainability, Their Vulnerability and Management Options

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Last modifed October 28, 2002 by Stella Salvo