CDFA Soil Biodiversity Report: A Path to Protecting Our Living Soils

CDFA Soil Biodiversity Report: A Path to Protecting Our Living Soils

An estimated 30% of all species worldwide have been threatened or driven extinct since the start of the industrial revolution—and, given how much biodiversity remains to be described globally, this number is likely an understatement. We don’t even know what we are losing, and this is especially true when considering the vast biological networks that exist within soils, estimated to hold more than half of the world’s remaining biodiversity. A new report from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Soil Biodiversity in California Agriculture: Framework and Indicators for Soil Health Assessment, places this unseen soil diversity front and center, highlighting the important roles that soil biodiversity plays in our agricultural systems and making recommendations for ways to better understand, monitor and preserve this vital resource. CAPS members Ravneet Behla, Sr. ES (Supervisory); Patricia Bohls, Sr. ES (Specialist); and Elizabeth Hessom, Sr. ES (Specialist) contributed to the report.