Soil Sampling in the Alpine Region. Returning to Trin
The Alpine landscape provides a unique setting for studying soil biodiversity. Steep mountain slopes, deep valley soils, and varying altitudes create diverse habitats, while a humid Alpine climate, characterized by cool summers, freezing winters, and frequent rainfall, shapes life above and below ground.
To investigate how these ecosystems respond to climate stress, the BIOservicES...
Soil Biodiversity: Meso and Macro Fauna Webinar | Insights and Takeaways
This Soil Community webinar brought together experts from leading EU projects and institutions to explore a central question:
How does soil fauna contribute to soil health, and how can it be effectively monitored and integrated into biodiversity assessment frameworks?
From microscopic mesofauna to ecosystem-engineering earthworms, the session highlighted the complexity of soil life, the...
Soil Biodiversity: Microorganisms Webinar | Insights and Takeaways
Soil life is far more complex than what we see with our eyes. Beneath every field, forest, and grassland lies a dynamic microbial world that drives nutrient cycling, plant growth, carbon storage, and ecosystem resilience.
In the latest webinar hosted on the Soil Community Platform, experts from leading European institutions explored how we measure, interpret, and monitor soil...
Benefits of carbon-rich soils
When soils are rich in carbon, they behave differently; they hold together better, breathe better, and support more life. Imagine two neighbouring fields after weeks of drought, followed by a sudden downpour: in one, crops wilt, and muddy water rushes off the surface; in the other, the soil soaks up the rain as a sponge and plants recover more quickly. More often than not, the difference lies...
Ecosystem services, nature’s priceless value. BIOservicES project perspective
Nature is a complex and interconnected network of life that supports us, encompassing habitats from large-scale ecosystems like dense forests and vast oceans to microscopic environments such as soil aggregates. It provides the essential resources and conditions necessary for all living organisms to flourish, offering us at the same time beauty, inspiration, and vital resources. As humans, we...
’Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services’ Webinar | Insights & Takeaways
Economic valuation of ecosystem services is the process of measuring the monetary value of the benefits that ecosystems provide to people. These benefits include tangible goods such as food, water purification, and flood protection (provisioning and regulating services), as well as less tangible outcomes like recreational enjoyment, aesthetic appreciation, and cultural or spiritual...
Assessing Soil Biodiversity: Why It Matters and What the SOB4ES Project Is Doing About It
When we talk about biodiversity, we often picture tropical forests or coral reefs. But one of the most diverse ecosystems is right beneath our feet. Soil is full of life, from tiny bacteria to earthworms, and this underground world plays a crucial role in keeping our environment healthy and our farming systems productive.The SOB4ES (Integrating SOil Biodiversity into Ecosystem Services)...
Nature’s nutrient cycle, vital for life on Earth
Whether referring to humans, plants, or animals, we all live within interconnected communities where giving and receiving resources are essential for the collective flourishing of all. This concept is easily transferable to any ecosystem: just as humans have unique roles in society (‘Luckily, we are all different in our way’), so too do plants and animals contribute differently to...
Increasing connectivity across Mission Soil. BIOservicES x SOB4ES
We are excited to announce the beginning of the collaboration with SOB4ES project, marking a significant milestone in our shared mission to provide innovative knowledge on soil biodiversity and ecosystem services across contrasting European land use types and intensity levels, and develop cutting-edge tools for sustainable land management practices across Europe.
Establishing synergetic...
‘Soil Health Indicators: from selection to sampling’ Webinar | Insights and Takeaways
Soil health indicators are vital for evaluating soil ecosystems’ vitality and sustainability. When combined with careful indicator selection and precise sampling techniques, they enable effective monitoring of soil health, guiding management practices that enhance soil fertility and bolster ecosystem resilience.
On this point, we disseminate more of our work in the third webinar on...