World Soil Day

World Soil Day PDF Author: Dr. Md. Abdul Bari
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Soil biodiversity
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description

World Soil Day

World Soil Day PDF Author: Dr. Md. Abdul Bari
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Soil biodiversity
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity

Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity PDF Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9251352186
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 927

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Book Description
The proceedings book of the GSOBI21 contains all papers presented both orally and in poster format during the symposium. The papers have provided sufficient scientific evidence that the loss of soil biodiversity is a global threat, and shows the place we are standing on and where we need to go to prevent soil biodiversity loss and to reinforce knowledge about soil biodiversity.

The magical world of soil biodiversity

The magical world of soil biodiversity PDF Author: FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS - FAO & INTERNATIONAL UNION OF SOIL.
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9251342490
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
In the framework of World Soil Day 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), and the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) launched a children's book contest on Soil Biodiversity with the motto "Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity". The book contest on soil biodiversity has given visibility to the importance of soil organisms and raised awareness on the urgency of protecting soil biodiversity. The soil biodiversity book competition highlights the importance of soil organisms and raises awareness of the urgent need to protect soil biodiversity among a young audience (children aged 6-11 years). This collection of 10 stories includes the best entries received from a total of 80 books spanning over 60 countries.

Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas

Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas PDF Author: European Commission. Joint Research Centre
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Soil biodiversity
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
"The Atlas describes soil as habitat for the diversity of organisms that live under our feet. At the same time, it draws attention to the threats to soil biodiversity, such as invasive species, pollution, intensive land use practices or climate change. The Atlas provides current solutions for a sustainable management of soils. It was coordinated by the JRC and the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (www.globalsoilbiodiversity.org) with more than 70 contributing organisations and several hundred individual contributions. It illustrates the diversity of soil organisms, explains their geographical and temporal distribution, the ecosystem functions and services provided by soil biota. Most importantly, it draws attention to the myriad of threats to soil biodiversity. These include inappropriate land management practices (e.g. deforestation, land take for infrastructure development), agricultural systems, over-grazing, forest fires and poor water management (both irrigation and drainage). Other practices such as land conversion from grassland or forest to cropped land result in rapid loss of soil carbon, which indirectly enhances global warming. The Atlas shows that mismanaging soils could exacerbate the effects of climate change, jeopardise agricultural production, compromise the quality of ground water and worsen pollution. It also proposes solutions to safeguard soil biodiversity through the development of policies that directly or indirectly target soil health, leading to a more sustainable use."--

Soil biodiversity

Soil biodiversity PDF Author: Helen Phillips
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889766748
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
About this collection This Collection is the work of more than 50 scientists and Young Reviewers from all around the globe. Our role as editors, together with the authors, was to share our love of soil biodiversity with you. In this Collection, you will discover that soils are full of life. We will introduce some of the methods and techniques used by scientists to observe the life below our feet. We will show you that belowground life is essential to have healthy soils and, therefore, for us. However, you will soon realize that belowground life is changing and under multiple threats. The authors will give ideas on how we can protect soil biodiversity and invite you to actively help us in studying and protecting this valuable ecosystem. We have divided this article Collection into four sections, each of which is introduced below. To make our articles accessible to as many of you as possible, we have created a website hosting translations to languages other than English. Soils are alive Soils are not just rock and dust but are astonishing living systems that are full of life! In this first section, you will read about little creatures that you might already know, like earthworms. You will also discover many new creatures, like springtails and mites, that live close to you in your garden, in the parks, or in nearby fields. Our authors will even show you an entire world of tiny creatures not visible by the naked eye: tiny bacteria, fungi, and protists. Soil biodiversity is about the diversity of these organisms. But how many different organisms are there? How different are they from each other? To answer these questions, scientists need tools and methods to observe and understand the biodiversity under our feet. How can we observe this beautiful world under our feet? In the articles in this section, the authors describe the tools and methods they use to observe and understand soil biodiversity. It is not easy to see the creatures in the soil and what they are doing under our feet; therefore, soils are often called the "black box". Some scientists are using the body fat of soil creatures to identify them and monitor what they feed on; others use DNA to identify soil organisms, like forensic investigators in the movies. In addition, our authors will explain how soil organisms are "talking" to each other and how we study these interactions. What are scientists learning from studying these soil creatures? Is soil biodiversity important to us? Why is soil biodiversity so essential to us? In this section, the authors illustrate that soil biodiversity maintains processes essential for our well-being. For example, you will learn that soil bacteria can keep your food safe by protecting it from diseases. We will highlight that soil biodiversity is essential for nature to work. For example, the authors will demonstrate that soil organisms are vital for recycling dead matter and releasing the nutrients in it. In addition, you will see how soil organisms are directly affecting greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane by controlling soil processes. Controlling these emissions is critical for keeping our climate stable. Soil organisms are alive, moving, and interacting, but are all these organisms and their important functions changing with time? Are these communities of soil organisms set in stone? Soil communities are changing You probably know that a lot of trees, flowers, and animals can change over the year with the seasons; flowers and fruits appear in spring and summer, leaves drop from the trees in fall. Soil animals are also changing with the seasons. And, like us, soil organisms can move to new places or disappear from others, either permanently or temporarily. These changes can be natural but can also be the result of human activities. Our authors will show you that agricultural practices and the effects of climate change (such as reduced rainfall) are affecting soil organisms, their functions, and the services they provide to us. As we saw previously, soil biodiversity is essential for us, so any changes could be disastrous. So can we protect the organisms in the soil in the same way we protect other organisms such as tigers and pandas? Protecting soil biodiversity In the final section of this Collection, our authors will show you how to protect soil biodiversity. We can reduce our impacts and conserve this wonderful belowground life. But we can even go a step further and restore lost soil functions using our knowledge of soil biodiversity; for example by using fungi to restore soils. However, this is only possible if we understand soil biodiversity and its function. This is where you can help, for example by participating in a citizen science project and going outside to help researchers. Conclusion This Collection is about illuminating the "black box" of soil and showing you some of the fantastic creatures living under our feet. You will learn how scientists are studying soil biodiversity and how this soil biodiversity is essential for us. However, you will also see that soil biodiversity is under threat and needs to be protected. Many people across the globe will be needed to effectively protect these vital systems below our feet. That’s why it is important to spread the word about the beauty and fragility of belowground life. We hope that this Collection will make you a champion of soil biodiversity and that you will pass on this message so that everyone will become more aware of, and be better able to protect soil biodiversity. Now it is your turn to explore and engage with the content of this Collection. We hope there will be something for all of you!

Soils Challenge Badge

Soils Challenge Badge PDF Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9251084335
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Book Description
Soil is essential for life – it provides nutrients, water and minerals to plants and trees, and is home to millions of insects, bacteria and small animals. Without soil, we would not be able to grow any crops or other useful plants, support any livestock, or have materials for building shelter – soil really is a life-giver! Healthy soils also store and filter water, recycle nutrients and help us to deal with the negative effects of climate change by storing large amounts of carbon. But our soils are at risk; negative actions such as pollution and bad agricultural practices leave our soils exposed and damaged. We need healthy soils to support human well-being and a healthy planet. This is where the Soils Challenge Badge comes in: let it take you on a journey to discover the ground beneath your feet! This booklet is packed with activities to help you learn about soil and how it is formed, the creatures that live in it, and just how important it is in our everyday lives. You will also discover how YOU can play a role in protecting soils for future generations. We hope you will be inspired to take the challenge and celebrate our planet’s soils. Dig in!

State of knowledge of soil biodiversity – Status, challenges and potentialities. Summary for policy makers

State of knowledge of soil biodiversity – Status, challenges and potentialities. Summary for policy makers PDF Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9251335834
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
There is increasing attention on the importance of biodiversity for food security and nutrition, especially above-ground biodiversity such as plants and animals. However, less attention is being paid to the biodiversity beneath our feet, soil biodiversity, which drives many processes that produce food or purify soil and water. This summary for policy makers presents the key findings of the main report and is the result of an inclusive process involving more than 300 scientists from around the world under the auspices of the FAO’s Global Soil Partnership and its Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative and the European Commission. The summary for policy makers presents concisely the state of knowledge on soil biodiversity, the threats to it and the solutions that soil biodiversity can provide to problems in different fields. This report is a valuable contribution to raising awareness of the importance of soil biodiversity and highlighting its role in finding solutions to today's global threats.

Agrobiodiversity - a training manual for farmer groups in East Africa

Agrobiodiversity - a training manual for farmer groups in East Africa PDF Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
ISBN: 9251305293
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
Farmers play a crucial role in the preservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity. In fact, the diversity of species that support our current agricultural production systems has been carefully managed and shaped by farming communities, over the course of the history of humankind. Farmers act as custodian of the Earth’s agrobiodiversity resources, and play a big part in preserving traditional plant and animal varieties, and the knowledge associated with these. FAO has long been working on promoting approaches to agriculture that enable both the sustainable use of biodiversity resources for food and agriculture, and their conservation, and on supporting farmers to make informed decisions on their farm management and production practices. This training manual fits in this broader commitment, to support a shift towards a paradigm of agricultural production that can sustain food and nutrition security while at the same time cause the least harm to natural ecosystems. The manual is intended as an introduction to agricultural biodiversity, and to its relevance to different aspects of agricultural production and management for smallholder farmers in Kenya. It includes eight different training modules, each covering a specific aspect related to agrobiodiversity. The modules are standalone and can be used independently one from the other, depending on the user’s or project’s aim. The materials were originally prepared within the FAO- Netherlands Partnership Programme (FNPP) and have been updated, revised and published under the second phase of the European Union-funded project “Capacity-building related to multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries”.

Soil Protozoa

Soil Protozoa PDF Author: J. F. Darbyshire
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
Protozoa are active components of the soil microfauna. For example, they may stimulate bacterial metabolism and some fungal metabolites can lyse protozoa. They may be predators of bacteria and hence have a role in biological control. Their presence in groundwaters can be used as an indicator of pollution, while they are also being used to treat sewage in the activated-sludge and reed-bed processes. They are believed to be major secondary decomposers in soil and increased knowledge about these microorganisms is important to sustain soil fertility and food production. This book is the first in English for 65 years devoted entirely to soil protozoology. It is written by experienced microbiologists and should be of interest to protozoologists, other microbiologists, and soil scientists.

Teaming with Microbes

Teaming with Microbes PDF Author: Wayne Lewis
Publisher: Timber Press
ISBN: 1604692545
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
Healthy soil teems with life—not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. Chemical fertilizers injure the microbial life that sustains healthy plants, and the soil becomes increasingly dependent on artificial, often toxic, substances. But there is an alternative: by strengthening the soil food web—the complex world of soil-dwelling organisms—gardeners can create a nurturing environment for plants. Teaming with Microbes extols the benefits of cultivating the soil food web. It clearly explains the activities and organisms that make up the web, and explains how gardeners can cultivate the life of the soil through the use of compost, mulches, and compost tea. With Jeff Lowenfels’ help, everyone—from devotees of organic gardening techniques to weekend gardeners who simply want to grow healthy, vigorous plants—can create rich, nurturing, living soil.