Soil biodiversity: The risks and rewards beneath our feet
New data highlights the threats facing soil health and the implications of losing below ground diversity
A new global assessment led by Conservation International and IUCN finds one in five soil species at risk of extinction. Of more than 8,500 soil-dependent species assessed for the IUCN Red List, 20% (at least 1,758 species) are threatened with extinction, and a further 20% are listed as Data Deficient, so we are yet to determine their conservation status.
Why does this matter?
Soils support 95% of the food we eat;
They could sequester up to 27% of the carbon needed to keep warming below 2°C (in forest systems they can hold up to 70%)
Soils are home to an estimated 59% of all Earth’s species.
Yet despite its central role in food security, climate stability, and ecosystem function, soil biodiversity remains under-studied compared to its above-ground counterparts and under-represented in conservation policy.
Through Kew Reach’s partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and our associates network, we are helping clients bridge this knowledge by translating this science into practice:
Fungal conservation and assessment: Drawing on Kew’s mycological expertise to identify, monitor and assess fungi for the IUCN Red List, addressing one of the largest data gaps in soil biodiversity.
Below-ground systems design: Embedding the latest research on plant–fungal partnerships and soil microbial communities into restoration and BNG schemes, ensuring habitats function below ground as well as above.
Soil health metrics: Helping develop and apply meaningful indicators of soil health.
Training and best practice: Equipping landowners, contractors and ecologists with the knowledge to protect soil biodiversity through implementation and long-term management.
What’s clear, is our soils need to be foundation upon which a resilient, nature-positive future can be built.