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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 1

Extinction is for ever: what are we losing from the soil?

Joint Research Centre (JRC)The European Commission’s

Research-Based Policy Support Organisation

Ciro Gardi

EUROPEAN COMMISSIONJOINT RESEARCH CENTREInstitute for Environment and Sustainabilityciro.gardi@jrc.it

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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 2

What is Extinction?

• Species extinction is a natural process

• The natural rate of extinction is approximately 12 species/year

• We are currently experiencing the 6th Mass Extinction, losing 15,000-30,000 species every year

• Soil organisms are not excluded from this process

• This represents one of the main threats to the future of the Earth

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Extinction and Endangerment?The Monte Verde golden toad: Extinct

Edith’s CheckerspotButterfly: Moved

Grinnellia:

Extinct

Tectella patellaris:

locally extinct

Projection: 25% of world species will be extinct by 2050 (climate change + habitat fragmentation) Thomas et al. (2004), Nature 427:145-148.

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0 20 40 60 80 100

Habitat loss and degradation

Over-exploitation

Invasive species

Human disturbance

Pollution

Natural disasters

Change in native speciesdynamics

Incidental mortality

Disease

Persecution

Biodiversity Losses

0 20 40 60 80 100

Habitat loss and degradation

Over-exploitation

Invasive species

Human disturbance

Pollution

Natural disasters

Change in native speciesdynamics

Incidental mortality

Disease

Persecution

0 20 40 60 80 100

Habitat loss and degradation

Over-exploitation

Invasive species

Human disturbance

Pollution

Natural disasters

Change in native speciesdynamics

Incidental mortality

Disease

Persecution

0 20 40 60 80 10

Habitat loss and degradation

Over-exploitation

Invasive species

Human disturbance

Pollution

Natural disasters

Change in native speciesdynamics

Incidental mortality

Disease

Persecution

Mammals

0

Percentage of species affected

Amphibians Birds Soil biota

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• Economical/utilitarian reasons

• Ecological reasons

• Ethical reasons“.. Everyday we use living organisms, and

without them we can’t live. And everyday we take this great benefit for granted …..”

Saint Francis of Assisi, 1225

Why We Need to Protect Soil Biodiversity?

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What We Have to Protect?• Taxonomic diversity

• Functional diversity

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The Economic Value of Soil BiodiversityService World economic

benefits of biodiversity (x US$109/year)

Waste recycling 760Soil formation 25Nitrogen transformations 90Chemical detoxification 121Biotechnology 6Wild food 180Biocontrol of pests 257Pollinators 200

Total 1,542

Service World economic benefits of biodiversity

(x US$109/year)Waste recycling 760Soil formation 25Nitrogen transformations 90Chemical detoxification 121Biotechnology 6Wild food 180Biocontrol of pests 257Pollinators 200

Total 1,542

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200

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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 8

Crops are threatened by soil-borne disease which can cause severe yield decreases and economic damage. Soil biodiversity has the potential to limit the effects of soil-borne diseases.

The Unknown Value of Soil Biodiversity

Many scientist are looking at soil biodiversity, especially in remote areas, in an attempt to find the most promising medicines for the future.

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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 9

The Cataclysmic Implications of Fungi Extinction• Many species of trees cannot grow without a symbiotic relationship with certain soil-based fungi such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)

•Invasive plant species, such as garlic mustard, is causing a decline of AMF in many native hardwood forests in North America

• Mass extinction of soil-fungi would be the corollary to a mass extinction of trees in both tropical and temperate settings

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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 10

•Strict records of mushrooms species have been kept in Europe since 1912

•Data show a sharp decline in mushroom diversity (e.g. a 65% decrease in mushroom species in The Netherlands over a 20 year period)

•Swiss Federal Environment Office has published the first-ever “Red List” of mushrooms detailing 937 known species facing possible extinction in the country

Decline in Soil Biodiversity: Some Evidence

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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 11

High levels of functional redundancy exist. E.g. Breakdown of non-recalcitrant organic matter by many species of soil invertebrates, fungi and bacteria

No Functional redundancy exists. Loss of this part of the community means complete loss of this function. E.g. breakdown of some highly recalcitrant or xenobiotic compounds

Functional Redundancy

Some levels of function redundancy exists. E.g. Nitrogen fixation by Rhizobium, Cyanobacteria, actinomycetes

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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 12

DPSIR Framework• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

•Environmental policy•Soil protection

• CHANGE OF THE ECOLOGICAL STRUCTURE

•Change of ecosystem functions•Loss of ecosystem goods and services

SOIL BIODIVERSITY DECLINE• Loss of biological diversity• Reduction of soil organisms quantity

Climate changeLand use changeHabitat disruptionSoil organic matter declineSoil erosionSoil compactionSoil sealingSoil pollutionHuman intensive exploitationGMO pollutionInvasive speciesHabitat fragmentation

DrivingForces

Pressures

Responses

Impact

State

•Increase of human population•Change of life styleEnergy consumptionLand use changeLand use intensityAgricultural intensityDissipative use of chemicalsGMO use, trade and releaseGlobalizationMobility infrastructures

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Climate Change“On the Influence of Carbonic Acid in the Air upon the Temperature of the Ground”

(Publication by Arrehenius, 1896)

Alta Val Ridanna, 2006Northern Italy

Ciro

G

ardi

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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 14

Observed displacement:1-4 m/10 yearsGrabherr G. et al. (1994), Nature 369:448EU project GLORIA-Europe

Alpine vegetationClimate Change

AA AABB BB

CCCC

AA AABB BB

CCCC

TemperatureAA AABB BB

?? ??

CC CC

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Marching Towards the Poles

Extending northern boundary1970-1997

Extending northern boundary + rectracting southern boundary

Parmesan C. et al. (1999), Nature 399:579-583

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•Land use change and the consequent habitat and ecosystem disruption, is probably the main threat to biodiversity

•Among the soil biota, the greatest effects are be seen most quickly on soil macro and mesofauna (Wall et al. 2001)

Gilberto Câmara -Director for Earth Observation, National Institute for Space Research, Courtesy: INPE/OBT

19731973 19911991

19991999

Ecosystem Disruption

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Ecosystem Disruption - Sealing

95

100

105

110

115

1990 1995 2000

1990 = 100

Built-up area

Population

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Susceptibility to Soil ErosionThis map provides a complete picture of the erosion risk for the 27 member states. It is derived from the Pan European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA) and the RUSLE (Revised Universal SoilLoss Equation) model for Finland and Sweden

Source: PESERA Project, JRC – Kirby et al., 2004

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Soil Compaction

Ciro

G

ardi

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Potential Loss of Organic CarbonThe potential of soil organic carbon (SOC) loss refers to the amount of SOC (in tC ha-1) that can be lost by a given Soil Typological Unit within a bioclimatic region. The potential of SOC loss is calculated from the equation:Potential of SOC loss = Mean SOC - Min SOC

Source: SOCO Project, JRC Stolbovoy et al., 2008

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Soil ContaminationThis map shows the trend to find higher cadmium concentrations in the UK, Ireland, North ofFrance, Belgium, The Netherlands, central Germany, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary. However, the estimated cadmium values are below the most limiting threshold value of 1 ppm for agricultural soils.

Source: European Soil Data Center, JRC L d t l 2007

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Chicago, 12-16 February 2009 – AAAS Annual Meeting 22

THREATS DEVELOPED DEVELOPING FAST GROWINGCOUNTRIES COUNTRIES COUNTRIES

Habitat disruption + ++ ++(Land use change, land use intensity, Climate change)

Climate change ++ ++ ++

Habitat fragmentation + + ++

Soil erosion -/+ ++ ++

Soil compaction + - ++

Soil organic matter decline + ++ ++

Soil sealing + + ++

Invasive species + ++ ++

GMO - ++ ++

Occurrence of Threats

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Conclusions

• Soil biodiversity and the ecosystem services which it provides are vital to global functioning

• To pay for these services to be performed would be very expensive, where it is even possible

• Quantifying threats, both the dangers that they pose and the probabilities of them occurring, is vital to allow effective environmental policies

• Accurate quantification of threats requires an increased understanding of soil biodiversity at all scales

• EU Soil Thematic Strategy

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Thank You for Your Attention !!

Kar

l Ritz

Lew

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Stev

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