Objective
SOILGUARD envisages a future where the conservation of soil biodiversity and the environmental, economic and social wellbeing of EU biogeographical regions is guaranteed. Unsustainable management and climate change are increasing land degradation and threatening soil biodiversity. Urgent action is required to mainstream sustainable soil management practices and the perception of soil biodiversity as a key nature-based solution to face land degradation and climate change stressors. The efficacy of this call to action depends on addressing major knowledge gaps related to biodiversity and soil-mediated ecosystem services. Soil biodiversity assessment emerges as a key challenge to be overcome. SOILGUARD will co-create a conceptual and analytical framework with the potential to become the global standard for future assessments of soil biodiversity status and its contribution to soil multifunctionality and human wellbeing. This framework will be validated in an innovative experimental design, combining multiple study sites across biomes and regional land degradation gradients with in-situ climate change simulations. Thus, creating the evidence to fill the gaps of knowledge and quantify the environmental, economic and social consequences of unsustainable soil management. All knowledge co-created will be shared through SOILGUARDIANS, a predictive tool based on the causal links between soil biodiversity, soil multifunctionality and wellbeing to support stakeholders on the transition to sustainable management. The SOILGUARD’s network of knowledge and the connectivity enabled by SOILGUARDIANS app will create an ecosystem of innovation for users to showcase, learn and share experiences. SOILGUARD will co-create evidence-based conservation recommendations for policies and frameworks at EU and international level and will support Member States commitments under the Global Soil Partnership. SOILGUARD has the support and engagement of the GSP, GSBI, SOIL-BON, ITPS, FAO and IPBES.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.1. - Increasing production efficiency and coping with climate change, while ensuring sustainability and resilience
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.2. - Providing ecosystems services and public goods
Call for proposal
H2020-SFS-2020-2
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
08225 Terrassa
Spain
Participants (24)
75007 Paris Cedex 07
8092 Zuerich
6708 PB Wageningen
1012WX Amsterdam
03690 Alicante
1210 Wien
10785 Berlin
14469 Potsdam
8800 Rumbeke Roselare
2630 Taastrup
3001 Jelgava
03202 Elche
2100 Godollo
00790 Helsinki
R93 Carlow
C1033AAE Buenos Aires
8390 Yaounde
12120 Pathum Thani
11810 Athina
171 21 Nea Smyrni
1040 Bruxelles
28003 Madrid
1196 Gland
OX10 8BB Oxford