Soil Biology and Monitoring Environmental Change. Matthew Shepherd Senior Specialist, Soil Biodiversity, Natural England

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1 Soil Biology and Monitoring Environmental Change Matthew Shepherd Senior Specialist, Soil Biodiversity, Natural England

2 Soil Biology and Monitoring Environmental Change Generations have trod, have trod, have trod And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil And wears man s smudge and shares man s smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. And for all this, nature is never spent... Gerard Manley Hopkins, 1877

3 Soil Biology and Monitoring Environmental Change A new long-term monitoring programme Assessing soils and soil biology Baseline results Implications for soil monitoring and function Soil biodiversity an end in itself?

4 26 15 Long-term Monitoring Programme 20 P O Hillsborough Cairngorms K J 12 North Wyke F Y Wyddfa (Snowdon) H N I 4 L M 1 G E Glensaugh 5 16 Sourhope 22 D 3 Moor House -Upper Teesdale 8 6 Drayton Wytham Porton Rothamsted Alice Holt C B A Builds on ECN What are long-term effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function of: climate change air pollution land management Environmental Change Biodiversity Network proposed Develop cost effective, integrated monitoring to 2050 and beyond.

5 Long-term Monitoring Programme 40 or more core monitoring sites in England by end Built on existing monitoring 20 current core sites all SSSI, mostly NNRs and SACs. Data will be managed by CEH

6 Long-term Monitoring Programme Climate and air quality Automatic weather station NH 3 diffusion tubes Precipitation and chemistry Biodiversity Butterflies (BMS) Birds (BBS) Vegetation -50 quadrats, spp. cover, height, etc.

7 Assessing soils and soil biology How to integrate soils? ECN -soil physico-chemical properties Make compatible and follow advice: SQuIDproject -biological indicators of soil quality Countryside survey soil monitoring UK SIC environmental interactions New soil methodology trialled at 9 sites

8 Assessing soils and soil biology Five 20m square plots marked out in homogeneous vegetation Each divided into 100 2m square subplots Assessments made in field Samples taken for lab analysis Most samples bulked from 4 sub-plots

9 Assessing soils and soil biology Field observations Photograph Main plant spp. cover to 5% Biogenic structures Soil pit photo, horizons, visual assessment.

10 Assessing soils and soil biology Cores taken, bulked and analysed for Bulk density %C, %N Loss On Ignition ph CEC and cations Olsen and Total P

11 Assessing soils and soil biology On unbulked cores Soil function and biology NO 3 and NH 4 mineralisation PLFAs trflp bacterial genetic diversity. Nematodes Mesofauna.

12 Assessing soils and soil biology Project delivered by Helaina Black, Andrew Cuthbert, Jason Owen, Roy Neilson et al at the James Hutton Institute Fieldwork in collaboration with SAC Intended for Sept delays meant Dec Jan fieldwork Weather, flood, disease! Mesofaunaand nematodes will be ID edduring coming year NE staff and volunteers trained at new FSC course

13 Baseline results physico-chemical Sig. betweensite differences for almost all parameters Physicochemical results not too surprising!

14 Baseline results physico-chemical

15 Baseline results physico-chemical

16 Baseline results physico-chemical

17 Baseline results soil function: N mineralisation

18 Baseline results soil function: N mineralisation

19 Baseline results soil function: C storage

20 Baseline results soil biology: PLFA s

21 Baseline results soil biology : PLFA s

22 Baseline results soil biology: trflp

23 Baseline results interactions

24 Implications for soil monitoring and soil function What size of changes can we detect? ph ~0.4 ph units ~20% change in bulk density Over 100% change in NH 4 mineralised! trflp -7% change in evenness, 12% change in richness PLFA 35-50% changes - better than soil cations! Soil physico-chemical properties change slowly detect change of habitats? Easier ways... Soil biological properties may be more sensitive

25 Implications for soil monitoring and soil function Soil function little evidence so far Future - link above and below-ground changes Recent NE review what practices and systems could provide benefits to soil biota and agriculture? Organic matter management Reduced or no-till Diversification of cropping Much evidence from disparate and non-uk sources Coordinated UK research/demonstrations needed

26 Soil biodiversity an end in itself? Soil biology a sensitive indicator... Different habitats have distinct soil communities Soil biodiversity is now better understood than ever Expertise is waning can new technologies be used? Some groups are simply neglected traditional conservation? Others (eg. microbes) may require new genetic approaches Workshop on Conservation of Soil Organisms, July 12 th, Natural History Museum, London.

27 Thank you! Helaina Black, Andrew Cuthbert, Jason Owen, Roy Neilson Andy Nisbet, Sarah Escott, Christine Innes David Harding, Peter Shaw