The Belowground Biodiversity Advisory Committee (BBAC) convened by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) tackled the complex task of how to measure soil biodiversity given the wide variety of possible indicators and methodologies that are evolving with recent technological advances. This work was put forth to improve understanding of how external pressures from land-use change, climate change and certain agricultural practices interact with the biotic networks that underpin the delivery of soil’s many ecosystem services.
The BBAC worked to create a 2023 Report that focused on how best to assess soil biodiversity in the context of working lands and considered current and future challenges faced by California agricultural producers, policy makers, governing agencies, and related stakeholders. The report presents information on the taxonomic and functional diversity of soil organisms, ecosystem services they provide, threats to soil biodiversity, assessment frameworks, and biodiversity indicators. Examples of how biodiversity indicators can be applied to specific use cases provide insights for soil health, sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, and biodiversity conservation in California.
