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| Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative | |
|---|---|
| Name | Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative |
| Formation | 2012 |
| Type | Non-profit network |
| Location | International |
| Fields | Soil biodiversity, ecology, conservation |
Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative is an international network established to coordinate research, policy engagement, and capacity building on soil biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. It connects researchers, institutions, and policy processes across regions including United Nations Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Convention on Biological Diversity, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and national research agencies. The Initiative synthesizes data, develops standards, and promotes soil biodiversity within multilateral environmental frameworks such as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goal 15.
The Initiative emerged from collaborations among researchers affiliated with institutions like Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, University of California, Davis, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation following meetings linked to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Soil Partnership. Early drivers included thematic assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and calls from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to better integrate belowground biodiversity into policy. Founding workshops convened stakeholders from agencies such as European Commission, US Department of Agriculture, Natural Environment Research Council, and NGOs including International Union for Conservation of Nature and World Wide Fund for Nature.
The Initiative aims to standardize soil biodiversity monitoring, inform policy instruments such as the Nagoya Protocol and Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and support global assessments by organizations like Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and United Nations Environment Programme. Its scope covers taxa studied by institutions including Smithsonian Institution, Max Planck Society, and universities like University of Oxford and Wageningen University & Research, linking taxonomic groups researched by museums such as the Natural History Museum, London and agencies like Agence Nationale de la Recherche. The Initiative addresses crosscutting targets aligned with Sustainable Development Goals and regional strategies from entities like the European Environment Agency.
Governing structures involve steering committees, scientific advisory panels, and working groups drawing membership from organizations such as International Soil Reference and Information Centre, Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory, World Agroforestry Centre, and national academies like the Royal Society and National Academy of Sciences (United States). Secretariat functions have been hosted by partners including Bioversity International and research centres tied to French National Centre for Scientific Research. The Initiative engages with policy mechanisms of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and liaises with funding bodies such as the European Research Council.
Research programs include global soil biodiversity mapping, long-term monitoring coordinated with projects like LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Network, meta-analyses using repositories such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility and Dryad (repository), and methodology standardization collaborating with International Organization for Standardization committees. Activities span soil fauna surveys involving museums like the American Museum of Natural History, molecular barcoding partnerships with institutes such as Wellcome Sanger Institute, and ecosystem function experiments connected to networks like National Science Foundation long-term ecological projects. The Initiative has produced technical guidance influencing assessments by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and data products integrated into platforms such as Group on Earth Observations.
Key collaborations include multilateral engagement with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, scientific partnerships with International Union of Soil Sciences, and joint initiatives with regional networks like the African Union research programmes, Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, and the European Commission Horizon 2020 projects. The Initiative works with conservation NGOs including Conservation International and research consortia like Global Soil Partnership and the Society of Wetland Scientists, as well as with national ministries such as Ministry of Agriculture (China), United States Department of Agriculture, and Ministry of Environment (Brazil).
Support has come from competitive grants and institutional contributions from funders such as the European Commission, National Science Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and national research councils including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. In-kind resources derive from partner institutions like CSIRO and universities including Harvard University and Peking University, and from data infrastructure investments by entities such as Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the World Data System.
Outcomes include standardized protocols adopted by national monitoring programmes, contributions to policy reports by Convention on Biological Diversity and Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and datasets used by climate modellers at NASA and European Space Agency. The Initiative has influenced conservation planning in regions informed by bodies such as African Union and European Commission directives, and fostered capacity building through workshops with partners like International Union for Conservation of Nature and universities including University of Cape Town and University of São Paulo. Continued impacts are visible in citations across journals published by publishers like Nature Publishing Group, Science (journal), and collaborations with infrastructure projects such as the Global Earth Observation System of Systems.