News blog

Picture post: the story is in the soil

When diversity is discussed, it’s normally rainforests, tigers or other photogenic things that get the headlines. Today, the European Commission’s research arm is putting the focus on something a bit more mundane: soil.

The Joint Research Centre has produced the first European ‘soil biodiversity atlas’. Confusingly, this does not map actual soil biodiversity, but shows where the greatest threats of soil biodiversity decline are.

soil left.bmpsoil right.bmp

soil key.bmpMajor danger zones identified are the UK, Northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. But – as you can tell from the amount of orange and red on the map – a lot of European soil is under threat, as well as under foot.

In a joint statement Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Europe’s research commissioner, and Janez Potočnik, the environment commissioner, said: “Soil is essential to the biodiversity which makes life on earth possible and keeps our economies sustainable. Soil degradation threatens our access to food, clean air and water, as well as to many crucial raw materials. Unless we tackle this problem soon and in a coordinated manner, it will cost a lot more to put it right.”

Comments

  1. Report this comment

    Gabrielle said:

    Wow, your post makes mine look feblee. More power to you!

Comments are closed.