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Activity 6
In your group, choose one of the following aspects of soils and sustainability - carbon counting, nitrogen, soil life, or water holding and produce presentation as if to a group of landworkers/farmers about how they can improve soil health to help contribute to mitigating global warming.
We will record each presentation.
Carbon Counting
Carbon Counting
There are increasing claims that soil can 'sequestrate' carbon emissions and thus save world from global warming. There is as much carbon is soil as in the whole of the air and plants together. Not all carbon is soil is the same, some is relatively interchangeable with air, while some is deeply fixed into mineral base.
There is an international organisation called 4 in 1000 to help drive soil carbon sequestration. The UK government is signed up to increase soil organic carbon by 0.4%/yr.
There are no laws to maintain soil quality, like there is for air and water.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity
Soil animals & Global Warming At UN level, there was a belief that the soil can only sequestrate so much carbon - as the globe warms so too will more gases, like CO2 and NOX evaporate from soil This is an important debate. Part of the problem is that increased microbial activity can increase carbon dioxide release from soils - defeating the sequestration.
Small soil animals can limit the effects of climate change, a team of researchers has shown through a long-term study. In the same way that Yellowstone's wolves regulate plant diversity by controlling the number of grazing elk, the researchers found that insects, worms and other small creatures can play a similar regulatory role in soil ecosystems by feeding on the microbes that can trigger increased carbon emissions.
An international collaboration between researchers was designed to shed light on this issue. They found: "In disturbed environments, where soil animals are not present, the feedback between climate change and microbial carbon production was strong, yet, when the soil community is healthy and diverse, we saw that animals feed on the microorganisms, limiting the feedback effects." The soil animals they studies were Isopods, we know better as 'woodlice' You may see them under piles of stones and they feed on fungal remains and other microbes.
Using soil animals as an indicator of soil carbon
Using soil animals as an indicator of soil carbon
For every four small soil animals under trees, only half that number are found under pasture, as there are shorter roots and less mycorrhizal fungi. Soil web evolved with trees around 400-300mya. Worms came in about 200mya. Grasses much later around 50mya. For all those soil animals under pasture, there are only half in arable soils. Arable soils have only existed for about 10,000 years. Ploughing exposes soil animals, breaks aggregates thus cutting down their pore spaces to live in. The plants grown are usually annuals & monocultures, so fertilisers used to make up for the loss of food & herbicides get rid of weeds, so no help.
Details Countryside Survey 2006-7
Government responses
Government responses
Labour government rebuffed EU Sustainable Soil Scheme.....
The present Conservative government overthrew Lords amendment to set targets to improve soils in Environment Act Dec 2021.
Massive change in farm subsidies - to green countryside rather than grow food. Latest Defra Announcements Jan 2023. The new SFI offers £20/ha to improve soil health..1/10th olf BPS payment.
EU reintroducing Soils Directive.
250 soil health bills have been introduced in USA in last 2 legislative sessions - concentrating on 'climate' on coasts and more on 'soils' in Midwest.
"Support the establishment of soil health living labs and the validation and definition of indicators for soil health; and the creation of a new generation of soil advisors to guide landowners and land managers in the implementation of sustainable practices, as well as to guide authorities in decision-making for a positive impact on soil health. "
EU Soil Strategy "hasn’t been able to equip itself with an adequate legal framework granting soil with the same level of protection as water, marine environment, and air."
Movement
Movement
We have seen that the impacts on any one part of soil affects many others, because of the complex inter-relations between a variety of different characters, creatures and conditions. Our response should not be in a 'reductionist way but a more integrated/holistic fashion.
What is hard to believe is that lump of dirt beneath our feet, is in constant motion. And has been for half a billion years. Everything is moving all the time. The molecules, microroganisms. mesofauna and of course moles.Not only are many creatures running round, but many others swimming around, all involved in a wide variety of biochemical reactions. This is what we want to regenerate - boost more life..
Soil Health and National Security report "calls on ministers to formally recognise healthy soil as a strategic asset, critical for maintaining food and societal security, critical for food sovereignty and a peaceful society."
Theory of the Earth Thomas Nail "We need a new philosophy of the earth. Geological time used to refer to slow and gradual processes, but today we are watching land sink into the sea and forests transform into deserts."
Soil is not static in time either. Those billions of tones of soil did not just appear under our feet. Yet few ask how it came to be here, and how long it has taken.
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