In a Science article published today, an International team of researchers calls for greater consideration of soil biodiversity and functions in international conservation strategies, particularly when deciding on nature protection priorities and policies and new conservation areas.
A quarter of all known species live in the soil. Life above ground depends on the soil and its countless inhabitants. Yet, global strategies to protect biodiversity have so far paid little attention to this habitat.
The relevance of soils must be recognised far beyond agriculture.
Published last December, the 2020 edition of The State of Europe’s Forests (SoEF 2020) is a comprehensive summary on a multitude of forest aspects in the pan-European region. While the overall situation is stable, threats to forest health and economic sustainability remain high.
According to the report - produced by Forest Europe, with technical input from the UNECE, the FAO and the JRC – the European forest area increased by 9% over the past 30 years and, with 227 million hectares, now covers more than one-third of Europe’s land surface.
