Abstract submission Deadline extended for the Global Soil Biodiversity Conference 2026!

The abstract submission deadline for the GSB Conference 2026 has been EXTENDED! Abstracts are now due August 15th, 2025 23:59 PDT. Abstracts should align with a minimum of one of seven different themes: 1. Soil Biodiversity Under Threat, 2. Soil Biodiversity as Nature-Based Solutions, 3. Soil Biodiversity Science: From Theory to Practice, 4. Innovations in Soil Biodiversity Research, 5. Patterns in Soil Biodiversity: Space and Time, 6. Soil Biodiversity Across Systems and Taxa, and 7. From Research to Action: Policy, Health & Society.

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. Pankaj Trivedi (USA), Dr. Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo (Spain), and Dr. Brajesh Singh (Australia)

In GSBI's latest blog, Drs. Pankaj Trivedi (USA), Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo (Spain), and Brajesh Singh (Australia) discuss their recent Viewpoint article about synthetic microbial communities (SynComs). They argue that SynComs are a valuable tool for for studying microbial communities and researchers can apply ecological and eco-evolutionary theories to better understand SynComs and their potential uses and benefits.

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. Corentin Bisot (Netherlands)

In GSBI's latest blog, Dr. Corentin Bisot discusses their recent paper in which they show that fungal hyphae tips grow in a wave-like formation, allowing for carbon efficient expansion. Further, they found bi-directional flows of nutrients between plants and fungi through hyphae. Hyphae contain a single tube (or cytoplasm), which makes this finding particularly interesting. This work used a large dataset (100s of TB) and a custom built microscope/ robot to support these findings.

Soil inoculation: Does it work?

March 19, 2025, 9:30 MDT, 11:30 EDT, 15:30 GMT, 16:30 CET

Moderated by Martin Hartmann

The Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment released a special issue to celebrate Dr. Diana Wall’s contributions to soil ecology

This issue includes 21 high impact articles written by global leaders in the discipline. The special issue can be accessed here. Further, the editor in Chief- Prof Brajesh Singh also announced the foundational annual Diana Wall review. This article was written by Dr. Carlos Guerra (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig,Leipzig, Germany; Department of Geography, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal) and colleagues - find it here. Lastly, the Global Initiative of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment will provide small funds for up to two training events in developing countries – with particular focus on soil health/ biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. Interested and registered parties can send a synopsis of the training event (one page max) with requested funds to info@globalsustainableagriculture.org or b.singh@westernsydney.edu.au for consideration.

Deadline extended: Call for symposia proposals for the 4th Global Soil Biodiversity Conference are now open. Proposals are due March 31st, 2025

The International Network on Soil Biodiversity (NETSOB) is accepting nominations for Vice-chairs of their three working groups

Vice-chair elections will be held this February for the three NETSOB working groups:

Working group-1: on measurement, assessment and monitoring of soil biodiversity

Working group-2: on sustainable use, management, and conservation of soil biodiversity

Working group-3: on economics and policies related to soil biodiversity

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. Stefanie Lutz (Switzerland) and Dr. Marcel van der Heijden (Switzerland)

In GSBI's latest blog, Dr. Stefanie Lutz and Dr. Marcel van der Heijden discuss their recent paper in which they found that the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are often underestimated. AMF research often focuses on Glomeromycota. However, recent discoveries have shown that the Mucoromycota phylum, in particular the enigmatic Endogonomycetes (E-AMF), also form arbuscule-like structures. Their study used long-read sequencing data from a combination of global field surveys including G-AMG and E-AMF and found significantly higher estimates of AMF richness than previously found.

Remote sensing and sensors to measure soil biodiversity

February 21, 2025, 9:00 MST, 11:00 EST, 16:00 GMT, 17:00 CET

Moderated by Michael Castellano

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. Ademir Araujo (Brazil)

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. George Brown (Brazil)

In GSBI’s latest blog, Dr. George Brown makes the case for saving and preserving worms used in research projects instead of tossing them to help advance science. The blog and paper associated with it recommends guidelines to scientists for preserving worms and where the specimens can be sent to be preserved.

GSBI Speaks: Biological Soil Crusts (Biocrusts)

December 12, 2024, 7:00 MST, 9:00 EST, 14:00 GMT, 15:00 CET

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. César Marín (Chile)

In GSBI’s latest blog, Dr. César Marín discusses natural selection and the theory of Multilevel Selection and how these concepts can be applied to arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM). To explore these ideas, Dr. Marín recently ran a workshop on how natural selection operates across the biological hierarchy in AM systems. A video of the full workshop can be found in the blog.

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. Tara Dirilgen (Ireland)

Check out GSBI's latest blog, where Dr. Tara Dirilgen (Maynooth University, Ireland) discusses the launch of Ireland's first local soil biodiversity network! The first meeting of the network was 26 June 2024 and had 15 attendees across 8 different Irish institutions. The blog also includes tips for starting your own local network. Ask the GSBI for tips or support on starting a local soil biodiversity network.

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. Helen Phillips (Finland)

In GSBI’s latest blog, Dr. Helen Phillips (University of Helsinki, Finland) discusses their recent paper where they conducted a meta-analysis to measure Global Change (GC) impacts on soil fauna. They found that soil pollution had the strongest negative impacts on soil fauna, although climate change (drought and land use intensification) also had negative impacts on soil fauna.

 “GSBI Speaks”

October Webinar: Dr. Diana H. Wall Remembrance

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. Julia Köninger (Spain)

In GSBI’s latest blog, Dr. Julia Köninger (Universidade de Vigo, Spain) discusses their recent paper where they sought to understand the diversity of soil organisms across 787 sites in Europe. Dr. Köninger’s team analyzed soil DNA to understand which variables drive soil life diversity across different types of ecosystems ranging from croplands to grasslands to woodlands. Surprisingly, they found croplands to host the highest diversity. However, species composition was also most homogeneous there compared to other ecosystems.

Announcing GSBI’s Interim Leadership

Dear GSBI community,

Since Diana Wall's untimely passing, GSBI has been without the leadership of the scientific chair. To fill this gap in leadership, I am pleased to announce that co-founders Wim van der Putten (Netherlands), Johan Six (Switzerland), and Richard Bardgett (United Kingdom) will step in as co-interim scientific chairs for a transitionary period. Together, the GSBI leadership will decide on next steps for GSBI after this interim period. Although GSBI lost both a founder and visionary, GSBI will continue on in her legacy.

Sincerely,

Dr. Leena Vilonen (Executive Director)

Check out the latest blog on Beneath Our Feet by Dr. Jake Robinson (Australia)

In GSBI’s latest blog, Dr. Jake Robinson (Flinders University, Australia) shares his most recent advances in ecoacoustics. In his research, he uses microphones to detect the sounds that soils make. These sounds are then used to make inferences about the abundance and diversity of soil communities. Dr. Robinson uses these sounds (ecoacoustics) to track the effectiveness of soil restoration interventions. Check out the blog to learn more about this innovative research.

Dr. Diana Wall’s Passing

It is with deep sadness that we announce that Diana Wall, GSBI founder and scientific chair, has passed. A staunch champion for soil biodiversity science, Diana founded GSBI as a grassroots organization in 2011 together with Wim van der Putten, Richard Bardgett, Johan Six, and Luca Montanarella to connect scientists and inform policy, education, and the public on soil biodiversity. As the leader of GSBI, Diana prioritized the inclusion of scientists from underrepresented groups, the global South, and early career researchers, and advocated for their access to resources. There are very few scientists who have reached out with the intensity and breadth across their field as she did. Diana Wall placed soil biodiversity on the map.

Diana was tireless in her efforts to build up the GSBI and bring soil biodiversity onto the international policy stage. By 2012 she had secured funding from Colorado State University (CSU), hired an Executive Director, organized an international workshop, was invited to speak at the RIO+20 Convention, and initiated work on the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas (published in 2016). Over the last decade, Diana encouraged the production of the first Global Soil Biodiversity Assessment (2020), secured GSBI participation in the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity-COP14 and international monitoring efforts such as the Soil Biodiversity Observation Network (SoilBON) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory (GLOSOB). She spearheaded the creation of the international Global Soil Biodiversity Conferences (Dijon, Nanjing, and Dublin), and during Covid produced ‘GSBI Speaks’ a series of online webinars to keep the global soil biodiversity community connected. 

GSBI Scientific Chair was only one of many scientific roles that Diana held across the field of ecology. We will share additional details about any tributes or celebrations of her life as they become available.

Major decision on Soil Biodiversity monitoring and protection adopted at COP-15 of Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal, QC, December 2022

THE PLAN OF ACTION 2020-2030 FOR THE INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF SOIL BIODIVERSITY

Soil Biodiversity Science challenges and international policy are the highlight of a new paper in Science by Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative colleagues

Soil Biodiversity needs policy without borders

A new paper in the recent issue of Science by W. van der Putten, R. Bardgett, M. Farfan, L. Montanarella, J. Six, and D. Wall highlights the importance of soils and soil biodiversity science for soil health the challenges and promises of new regional and international policies for soil protection and sustainable management.

THE GLOBAL SOIL BIODIVERSITY INITIATIVE PARTNERS WITH SOIL BIODIVERSITY OBSERVATION NETWORK (SoilBON)

The first soil biodiversity assessment across the United States has begun in association with the global SoilBON.

GET INVOLVED WITH GSBI!