VISHAKAPATNAM: Soil is a crucial and biodiverse habitat that is home to a whole range of life on Earth. A recent study that tried to quantify it, found that soil is home to 59% of life on Earth, making it the most biodiverse habitat.
The study, Enumerating soil biodiversity, by ecologist Mark Anthony and his team from the Swiss agricultural research organisation Agroscope, was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Soil organisms mediate unique functions that we rely on for food, fibre and human and planetary health. Despite the importance of soil life, we lack a quantitative estimate of soil biodiversity, making it challenging to advocate the importance of protecting, preserving and restoring soil life.
Mark Anthony and his team considered various organisms, from the most complex mammals to the simplest microbial, and estimated approximately two times greater soil biodiversity than previous estimates. The research showed that Enchytraeidae had the most significant percentage of species in soil with 98.6%, followed by fungi at 90%, Plantae at 85.5%, and Isoptera at 84.2%.
The research process involved an in-depth review of existing biodiversity literature. The study reveals that the estimated soil biodiversity percentage of 59 is just the tip of the iceberg after analysing a wide range of organisms and their habitats. This number, with a potential range of 15%, is believed to be an underestimate due to the complexities of soil ecosystems. Notably, the calculation does not even encompass bacteria-invading viruses, which exhibit remarkable diversity and dominate the soil realm.
While the study underscores the remarkable diversity within the soil, it also highlights a pressing concern. Human activities, from deforestation to climate change, threaten this delicate ecosystem severely.
Sharing this concern, Dr AJ Solomon Raju, former head of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Andhra University, said, "The quality and amount of soil are both essential. Lately, the soil in forest areas does not have enough nutrients due to activities like cutting down trees and mining. It's a bigger issue in hilly and mountainous regions, where valuable soil gets washed away along with its nutrients. When the nutrients are low, even if we plant more trees (afforestation), they do not grow well."
Illustrating with a simple yet significant instance, Dr Solomon explained, "Nowadays, many soils lack enough nitrogen. If the soil is not rich in nutrients and the trees and leaves do not have what they need, it is a problem for small insects like butterflies. These insects lay their eggs on these leaves, and if the leaves are not nutritious enough, it is hard for the insects to survive. This simple example highlights the need to ponder its broader implications on a larger scale. Conservation efforts must now consider the vital organisms beneath us, as safeguarding soil life is a central goal for addressing the ongoing biodiversity crisis."