Soil biodiversity needs policy without borders

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 379; no. 6627; pp. 32 - 34
• Main Authors: van der Putten, Wim H., Bardgett, Richard D., Farfan, Monica, Montanarella, Luca, Six, Johan, Wall, Diana H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 06.01.2023
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Borders; Climate change; Climate Control; International Cooperation; Land pollution; Land use; Policy; Soil; Soil chemistry; Soil degradation; Soil Microbiology; Soil pollution; Soil Science; Soils
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.abn7248

Soil health laws should account for global soil connections Soil biodiversity is crucial for healthy soils, on which we all depend for food, human health, aboveground biodiversity, and climate control. It is well known that land use intensification, climate change, environmental pollution, and mining activities degrade soil biodiversity. However, most current and intended policies on soil protection not only lack a holistic view on how biological, physical, and chemical components of soil health are integrated but also overlook how soils across national borders and continents are connected by human activities. The challenge is to use recent advancements in understanding the distribution and functional roles of soil biodiversity in developing policy on restoring and protecting soil health across borders. Thus, policy should focus not only on soils within a nation or union of nations but also on preventing negative footprints on each other’s soils.