Dataset Information

Blind spots in global soil biodiversity and ecosystem function research.

ABSTRACT: Soils harbor a substantial fraction of the world's biodiversity, contributing to many crucial ecosystem functions. It is thus essential to identify general macroecological patterns related to the distribution and functioning of soil organisms to support their conservation and consideration by governance. These macroecological analyses need to represent the diversity of environmental conditions that can be found worldwide. Here we identify and characterize existing environmental gaps in soil taxa and ecosystem functioning data across soil macroecological studies and 17,186 sampling sites across the globe. These data gaps include important spatial, environmental, taxonomic, and functional gaps, and an almost complete absence of temporally explicit data. We also identify the limitations of soil macroecological studies to explore general patterns in soil biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships, with only 0.3% of all sampling sites having both information about biodiversity and function, although with different taxonomic groups and functions at each site. Based on this information, we provide clear priorities to support and expand soil macroecological research.

SUBMITTER: Guerra CA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7400591 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Blind spots in global soil biodiversity and ecosystem function research.

Guerra Carlos A CA Heintz-Buschart Anna A Sikorski Johannes J Chatzinotas Antonis A Guerrero-Ramírez Nathaly N Cesarz Simone S Beaumelle Léa L Rillig Matthias C MC Maestre Fernando T FT Delgado-Baquerizo Manuel M Buscot François F Overmann Jörg J Patoine Guillaume G Phillips Helen R P HRP Winter Marten M Wubet Tesfaye T Küsel Kirsten K Bardgett Richard D RD Cameron Erin K EK Cowan Don D Grebenc Tine T Marín César C Orgiazzi Alberto A Singh Brajesh K BK Wall Diana H DH Eisenhauer Nico N

Nature communications 20200803 1

Soils harbor a substantial fraction of the world's biodiversity, contributing to many crucial ecosystem functions. It is thus essential to identify general macroecological patterns related to the distribution and functioning of soil organisms to support their conservation and consideration by governance. These macroecological analyses need to represent the diversity of environmental conditions that can be found worldwide. Here we identify and characterize existing environmental gaps in soil taxa ...[more]

PMID: 32747621

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Project description:Risks associated with exposure of individual plant species to ozone (O3) are well documented, but implications for terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem processes have received insufficient attention. This is an important gap because feedbacks to the atmosphere may change as future O3 levels increase or decrease, depending on air quality and climate policies. Global simulation of O3 using the Community Earth System Model (CESM) revealed that in 2000, about 40% of the Global 200 terrestrial ecoregions (ER) were exposed to O3 above thresholds for ecological risks, with highest exposures in North America and Southern Europe, where there is field evidence of adverse effects of O3, and in central Asia. Experimental studies show that O3 can adversely affect the growth and flowering of plants and alter species composition and richness, although some communities can be resilient. Additional effects include changes in water flux regulation, pollination efficiency, and plant pathogen development. Recent research is unraveling a range of effects belowground, including changes in soil invertebrates, plant litter quantity and quality, decomposition, and nutrient cycling and carbon pools. Changes are likely slow and may take decades to become detectable. CESM simulations for 2050 show that O3 exposure under emission scenario RCP8.5 increases in all major biomes and that policies represented in scenario RCP4.5 do not lead to a general reduction in O3 risks; rather, 50% of ERs still show an increase in exposure. Although a conceptual model is lacking to extrapolate documented effects to ERs with limited or no local information, and there is uncertainty about interactions with nitrogen input and climate change, the analysis suggests that in many ERs, O3 risks will persist for biodiversity at different trophic levels, and for a range of ecosystem processes and feedbacks, which deserves more attention when assessing ecological implications of future atmospheric pollution and climate change.

Dataset Information

Blind spots in global soil biodiversity and ecosystem function research.

Publications

Blind spots in global soil biodiversity and ecosystem function research.

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