Biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity as key drivers of ecosystem services provided by soils

P. Smith; M. E. Cotrufo; C. Rumpel; K. Paustian; P. J. Kuikman; J. A. Elliott; R. McDowell; R. Griffiths; S. Asakawa; M. Bustamante; J. House; J. Sobocka; R. Harper; G. Pan; P. C. West; J. S. Gerber; J. M. Clark; T. Adhya; R. J. Scholes; M. C. Scholes

doi:10.5194/soil-1-665-2015

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Biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity as key drivers of ecosystem services provided by soils

Journal article

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Biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity as key drivers of ecosystem services provided by soils

P. Smith, M. E. Cotrufo, C. Rumpel, K. Paustian, P. J. Kuikman, J. A. Elliott, R. McDowell, R. Griffiths, S. Asakawa, M. Bustamante, …

Soil, Vol.1(2), pp.665-685

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-665-2015

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Abstract

Soils play a pivotal role in major global biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nutrient, and water), while hosting the largest diversity of organisms on land. Because of this, soils deliver fundamental ecosystem services, and management to change a soil process in support of one ecosystem service can either provide co-benefits to other services or result in trade-offs. In this critical review, we report the state-of-the-art understanding concerning the biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity in soil, and relate these to the provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services which they underpin. We then outline key knowledge gaps and research challenges, before providing recommendations for management activities to support the continued delivery of ecosystem services from soils. We conclude that, although soils are complex, there are still knowledge gaps, and fundamental research is still needed to better understand the relationships between different facets of soils and the array of ecosystem services they underpin, enough is known to implement best practices now. There is a tendency among soil scientists to dwell on the complexity and knowledge gaps rather than to focus on what we do know and how this knowledge can be put to use to improve the delivery of ecosystem services. A significant challenge is to find effective ways to share knowledge with soil managers and policy makers so that best management can be implemented. A key element of this knowledge exchange must be to raise awareness of the ecosystems services underpinned by soils and thus the natural capital they provide. We know enough to start moving in the right direction while we conduct research to fill in our knowledge gaps. The lasting legacy of the International Year of Soils in 2015 should be for soil scientists to work together with policy makers and land managers to put soils at the centre of environmental policy making and land management decisions.

Details

Title: Biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity as key drivers of ecosystem services provided by soils
Authors/Creators: P. Smith - University of Aberdeen
M. E. Cotrufo - Colorado State University
C. Rumpel - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
K. Paustian - Colorado State University
P. J. Kuikman - Wageningen University & Research
J. A. Elliott - Environment and Climate Change Canada
R. McDowell - AgResearch
R. Griffiths - UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
S. Asakawa - Nagoya University
M. Bustamante - Universidade de Brasília
J. House - University of Bristol
J. Sobocka - Výskumný Ústav Pôdoznalectva a Ochrany Pôdy
R. Harper - Murdoch University
G. Pan - Nanjing Agricultural University
P. C. West - University of Minnesota
J. S. Gerber - University of Minnesota
J. M. Clark - University of Reading
T. Adhya - KIIT University
R. J. Scholes - University of the Witwatersrand
M. C. Scholes - University of the Witwatersrand
Publication Details: Soil, Vol.1(2), pp.665-685
Publisher: Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh
Number of pages: 21
Grant note: NE/M017125/1; NE/M021327/1; NE/M016900/1; ceh020005; ceh020008 / Natural Environment Research Council; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Leverhulme early career research fellowship; Leverhulme Trust Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, China Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation NE/M016900/1 / NERC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) NE/M016900/1; NE/M017125/1; ceh020005; NE/M021327/1; ceh020008 / NERC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) NE/M021327/1 / Belmont Forum/FACCE-JPI 15K07337 / Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) 289694 / EU; European Commission
Identifiers: 991005570081807891
Copyright: © Author(s) 2015
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Crop and Food Innovation
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.45 Soil Science; 3.45.112 Soil Carbon Dynamics
Web Of Science research areas: Soil Science
ESI research areas: Agricultural Sciences