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The LandISPortal platform currently contains over 250,000 field observations and more than 30,000 detailed descriptions of soil profiles, as well as hundreds of specialist publications and thematic maps. Photo: Siegfried Makedanz Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC 2.0 DeedSiegfried Makedanz Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed

Half a century’s data on British soil now available to the public

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La Cranfield University apre il LandISPortal, un database online costruito con oltre 30 mila campioni di suolo e 250 mila osservazioni sul campo raccolte nell’arco di mezzo secolo
Three-quarters of the world’s food crops depend on bees and pollinators in general. Photo: Boris Smokrovic CC0 1.0 Universal CC0 1.0 DeedBoris Smokrovic CC0 1.0 Universal CC0 1.0 Deed

Bees and biodiversity: a revolutionary radar is changing the way pollinators are monitored

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The technique developed by Trinity College Dublin and the Technical University of Denmark can identify bees with 85% accuracy while monitoring their health and behaviour. A millimetre-wave radar system proved decisive
Bumblebees are pollinators that play a vital role in agriculture and natural ecosystems. Photo: pixnio Public Domain – Free Creative Commons Zero (CC0) Photospixnio Public Domain – Free Creative Commons Zero (CC0) Photos

Climate and pollinators: for bumblebees heat isn’t always their enemy

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American study finds that major agricultural pollinators can adapt better than expected to moderate temperature increases. But extreme heat waves may jeopardize entire colonies
At least one fifth of the 8,500 animal species linked to the soil, including fungi and invertebrates, would today be at risk of extinction. CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use. Image: pxhere No attribution requiredpxhere CC0 Public Domain Free for personal and commercial use No attribution required

One in five soil-dependent species is at risk of extinction

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A new study by Conservation International and IUCN reveals that over 20% of soil-related species could disappear. And the current lack of data suggests an even more problematic picture for biodiversity
When introduced into urban settings, forest soil microbes can help promote people’s well-being by rebalancing the domestic microbiome. Image: Santeri Viinamäki Attribution 4.0 International CC BY 4.0 DeedSanteri Viinamäki Attribution 4.0 International CC BY 4.0 Deed

The forest at home: in Finland, soil microbes improve human health

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A Finnish study shows how introducing forest soil into domestic environments increases the microbial diversity of indoor air, with potential protective effects on the immune system of infants growing up in enclosed spaces
Biodiversity at risk in the United Kingdom. In the worst-case scenario, by 2070 many areas of the country could lose up to 20% of their existing local species. Photo: Ian Sharp Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 DeedIan Sharp Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

2050 is the point of no return in halting the decline in biodiversity in Great Britain

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In the worst-case scenario, a study highlights, at least 200 species are at risk of extinction while 9 out of 10 plant habitats will face lasting changes. And there is ever less time to reverse the course.
Il riscaldamento globale non cambia solo il paesaggio visibile ma altera profondamente le relazioni invisibili tra piante e funghi nel suolo. Foto: Pexels Free to use

Climate change is disrupting the symbiotic relationship between plants and soil fungi

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A thirty-year experiment in the US shows how rising temperatures are transforming ecosystems internally: the abundance of fungi that are useful to plants is declining, while decomposers are increasing. As a result, soil ecological stability is being disrupted
Mangrove swamp in Bahia. These plants cover 1.4 million hectares in Brazil, making it the second-largest mangrove area in the world after Indonesia. Photo: Jonathan Wilkins Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported CC BY-SA 3.0 DeedJonathan Wilkins Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed

A new index measures soil health in mangrove forests

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Brazilian researchers have developed an indicator to measure the ability of mangroves to provide ecosystem services, ranging from biodiversity conservation to carbon sequestration. The greater the soil degradation, the lower the score
Peatlands used for paludiculture are home to about three times as many birds as drained grasslands, reaching levels similar to those of natural wetlands. Photo: Melissa McMasters Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 DeedMelissa McMasters Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 Deed

Adapted farming in peatlands is also good for biodiversity

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Peatlands converted to paludiculture support three times as many birds as drained grasslands, with levels similar to those found in natural wetlands, according to a British study
Actions that have a significant impact on the soil, such as deforestation, intensive agriculture, urbanization, and habitat fragmentation, stimulate the spread of zoonotic diseases, transmitted in particular by rodents, bats, and mosquitoes. Photo: Pexels free to use CC0Photo: Pexels free to use CC0

Land use change poses a risk to human health

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Actions that impact the soil, such as deforestation, intensive agriculture, urbanization, and habitat fragmentation, stimulate the spread of diseases transmitted by rodents, bats, and mosquitoes, according to a study by Stirling University

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