Research News

Third Global Soil Biodiversity conference co-hosted by UCD and Teagasc

  • 15 March, 2023

 

A major international conference on soil biodiversity, co-hosted by University College Dublin and Teagasc, in association with the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, was held in UCD from 13-15 March. The Third Global Soil Biodiversity conference took place on the UCD Belfield campus and brought together the world’s leading experts in soil biodiversity science, with over 650 people in attendance from more than 120 countries.

The conference provided the latest updates on soil biodiversity research and knowledge for scientists, policy makers, regulators, environmental agencies, conservationists, land use managers and other stakeholders in the sustainable use and conservation of soil biodiversity.

The theme of the conference was ‘Science as a basis for the sustainable use and conservation of soil biodiversity,’ which was timely given the increased understanding of the importance of soil biodiversity in food security and climate regulation, and the recent intensification of international efforts to safeguard soil health.

At EU level, this includes the recent development of an EU soils strategy, the establishment of an EU Mission on Soil Health and Food, and the inclusion of aspects of soil health in the Common Agricultural Policy. Additionally, an EU soil health law, which would provide legal protection to soil, is currently being considered and is expected to be published in June.

Speakers at the opening session included representatives of the host organisations and from the EU-Joint Research Centre and UN-Food and Agriculture Organization, who described how the EU Soil Strategy intends to address soil biodiversity issues and discuss how the International Network on Soil Biodiversity and the Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory aim to mainstream soil biodiversity in order to halt biodiversity loss and ensure healthy soils for sustainable development.

Keynote addresses were delivered by  Richard Bardgett (University of Manchester, UK), Lydie-Stella Koutika (CRDPI, Republic of the Congo), Tom Crowther (ETH-Zurich), Edith Hammer (Lund University, Sweden), Yuting Liang (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China), Jennifer Pett-Ridge (Lawrence Livermore National Lab, USA).

Professor Diana Wall, Science Chair of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative and Director of the School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University, had this important message about the global research network at the forefront of soil-biodiversity defence:

The conference is the flagship event for the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, an international initiative launched in 2011, which seeks to promote expert knowledge on soil biodiversity in environmental policy and sustainable land management to protect and enhance ecosystem services.

According to Professor Tom Bolger (pictured above right), UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science and Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee: “This conference aligns closely with UCD’s strategy where members of the UCD community have been to the fore in shaping the UN Sustainable Development Goals and have been leaders in research areas such as the bioeconomy and agrifood and have developed education programmes in sustainable development and humanitarian assistance.”

Speaking at the official opening of the event, Professor Frank O’ Mara, Director of Teagasc said: "Teagasc are delighted to co-host this event on this important topic with UCD and in association with the Global Soil Biodiversity initiative. Soil Biodiversity and soil health is the basis for all our food production systems and critically important in meeting many of the sustainability challenges we face such as climate change, water quality, biodiversity loss and plant health.  Irish soils are generally in good health, and we need to build on that position."

Dr Saoirse Tracy, Assistant Professor in the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science and Chair of the Soil Science Society of Ireland said: "It has been fantastic to get so many people working on soil biodiversity in the same room. For many years we have been working in specific disciplines and silos or on our favourite species or kingdom, but to solve the immense environmental challenges we are facing we need to work collaboratively to truly understand soil health and ecosystem functioning. Together, as a group, our voices to raise awareness about soil challenges will be louder.

"The atmosphere of the conference was electric and a great buzz was created, possibly as many of us attended our first global conference in a long while. I chaired the first session on Aboveground - Belowground Interactions and the breadth of research being undertaken was wide and it was great to see more links between what is happening belowground to the aboveground. On Monday night the Soil Science Society of Ireland co-hosted an early career researcher event with the Soil Science Society of America in the UCD Student centre. Hopefully the networking that took place that evening will lead to grant writing and co-authorship of papers by the next generation of soil scientists. I also took great pride in welcoming so many attendees and international collaborators to our beautiful Belfield Campus."

Dr Fiona Brennan, Soil Microbiologist with Teagasc and member of the conference organising committee said: "Soils harbour a phenomenal diversity of life, and the more we learn about this reservoir of biodiversity the more we understand its incredible importance for addressing the major societal challenges of our times. The central role played by soil biota in nutrient transformations, climate regulation and plant health place them at the heart of global challenges around food security, biodiversity loss and climate change. As international efforts to safeguard our soils intensify it is key that the scientific evidence is available to underpin policy and management advice, and this conference will provide a forum for scientists, educators and other stakeholders to share the best available knowledge."

For many years we have been working in specific disciplines and silos or on our favourite species or kingdom, but to solve the immense environmental challenges we are facing we need to work collaboratively to truly understand soil health and ecosystem functioning. Together, as a group, our voices to raise awareness about soil challenges will be louder.

— Dr Saoirse Tracy conference organising committee, 2023

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

 

ABOUT GSBI

The Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, housed at the School of Global Environmental Sustainability­­ at Colorado State University (CSU), USA, is an independent, volunteer scientific organization of 5000+ researchers and policy-makers who promote and advocate for soil biodiversity science in environmental policy and land management. Founded in 2011, Diana Wall, Distinguished Professor, CSU Department of Biology, and Director, CSU School of Global Environmental Sustainability, serves as Science Chair of the GSBI with guidance from the GSBI Scientific Advisory Board of international researchers.

The GSBI has become a significant stakeholder in the development of policy and science relating to soils and biodiversity as was recognised in the outcome of the Convention on Biological Diversity COP14.