GSBI at Planet Under Pressure: Days 2 & 3 — Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative

Planet Under Pressure (PUP) 2012 - Day 2 & 3:

The tones of urgency, warning and directness are presented repeatedly- no matter the subject. Still, there is a collective optimism (lead by Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom) and determination, suggesting that this meeting really will initiate the changes we need to see to mediate climate change and reduce biodiversity losses. The goal for GSBI is to integrate soil biodiversity into the conversation.

Some important questions/ideas/thoughts:

How can we integrate in measurements of soil systems?
We are losing the strength of the terrestrial biosphere to act as a carbon sink.
When talking about ecosystems- we need to remember that there is a huge living component, without it, ecosystems would be lost.
The role of scientists is to increase the dialogue with social actors- focus on ‘translation’ and ‘communication’ that will bring the best information to the public and policy makers.
The earth’s ecosystems are over exploited and overextended- what can we do to conserve diversity and mediate land use changes (Georgina Mace)

Finally, many of Tuesday’s talks have focused on HOW we can start synthesizing the immense amount of information and data for the maximum benefit (e.g. GEOBON, DOPA). And we are still just skimming the surface, there is much ‘Unknown Biodiversity’ including the microbes!