I received an email from a colleague working on the development of soil-related policies, posing a “simple” question: How do you (scientists) define soil biodiversity? Is there a common definition? That was an unexpected query. It made me think and I realized that the answer is “no.” Although this is an apparently easy question, answers can be as diverse as soil biodiversity. Depending on the respondent (e.g., scientist, policymaker, farmer), definitions of soil biodiversity can vary and can lead to completely different actions in terms of conservation initiatives.
From a preservation point of view, the principle is simple: if you want to protect anything, you need to know what this thing is and be able to monitor it. Policymakers need to know what soil biodiversity is, in order to propose and monitor targeted measures. In this context, the soil biodiversity scientific community still faces two main issues. The first is the lack of indicators and thresholds that can be proposed to policymakers to ensure reliable monitoring and impact assessment schemes
10.1111/conl.12845
