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European Commission > Joint Research Centre > Institute for Environment and Sustainability > Land Resource Management Unit

Soil Themes > Soil Biodiversity > International Day for Biological Diversity

What lives below? The soil is alive!
A public awareness event organised by the European Commission on the occasion of World Biodiversity Day (22nd May 2008)
at the Ninth Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Venue: Forenzelt "Campus", Plaza der Vielfalt (in front of Maritim Hotel), Bonn, Germany
Date: 22 May 2008

Background and Rationale

Signed by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the Convention on Biological Diversity aims to promoting sustainable development, through the conservation of biological diversity on the planet. The same commitment is also evident from the European Union, starting with a Strategy on Biodiversity in 1998 from which four subsequent biodiversity action plans on conservation of natural resources, agriculture, fisheries and economic and development cooperation were adopted in 2001. In addition, nature and biodiversity are priorities of the EU's Sixth Environment Action Programme. Within the general objective of biodiversity conservation, soil biodiversity is increasingly recognised for the essential role in sustaining the functionality and ecosystem services provided by soil.


Additionally, DG ENV has initiated a programme to highlight the importance of soil biodiversity as recognised by the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection. In early 2008, a request was made for the collaboration of the JRC SOIL Action to support an awareness raising event at the COP CBD. The SOIL Action has experience in a number of projects investigation soil biology, soil biodiversity and bio indicators.

Oct 2010: Additionally, Find below all the posters translated in French.
French translation courtesy of representatives of the French Gessol Research Programme: Eric Blanchart (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), Marion BARDY (Ministère de l’Ecologie, de l’Energie, du Développement durable et de la Mer, France), Dominique King (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique).

if any other countries would like to follow the example of the French, Please contact Panos Panagos or Arwyn Jones . Powerpoint posters are avaible also upon request.

Posters

English version French version Italian version
The Soil Is Alive! Protecting Soil Biodiversity across Europe, LE SOL EST VIVANT IL SUOLO E’ VIVO!
What is Biodiversity? , QU’EST-CE QUE LA BIODIVERSITE? COS’E’ LA BIODIVERSITA’?
Loss of Biodiversity , LA PERTE DE BIODIVERSITE LA PERDITA DI BIODIVERSITA’
What do we mean by soil Biodiversity , QU’ENTENDONS-NOUS PAR BIODIVERSITE DU SOL? -
Why is Soil Biodiversity important? , POURQUOI LA BIODIVERSITE DES SOLS EST-ELLE IMPORTANTE? -
How much life is there in Soil? , COMBIEN DE VIE Y A-T-IL DANS LE SOL? QUANTA VITA C’E’ NEL SUOLO?
A handful of Soil is Alive! , UNE POIGNEE DE SOL EST VIVANTE! UNA MANCIATA DI TERRA E’ PIENA DI VITA!
Soil as a Habitat, LE SOL EST UN HABITAT IL SUOLO COME HABITAT
Soil as a Habitat (2), LE SOL EST UN HABITAT (2) IL SUOLO COME HABITAT (2)
The spatial scale of Soil Biodiversity Functions , L’ECHELLE SPATIALE DES FONCTIONS DE LA BIODIVERSITE DU SOL -
Bacteria: Minute Engines of Life , LES BACTERIES: MINUSCULES MOTEURS DE LA VIE BATTERI: MICROSCOPICI INGEGNERI DELLA VITA
Soil Fungi , LES CHAMPIGNONS DU SOL FUNGHI DEL SUOLO
Protozoa and Nematodes , PROTOZOAIRES ET NEMATODES PROTOZOI E NEMATODI
Arthropods, ARTHROPODES ARTROPODI
Earthworms , VERS DE TERRE ANELLIDI (Lombrichi)
Soil Food Web – Energy in the Soil, LA CHAINE ALIMENTAIRE DU SOL, L’ENERGIE DANS LE SOL LA RETE ALIMENTARE- L’ENERGIA DEL SUOLO
The Economic Value of Soil Biodiversity, LA VALEUR ECONOMIQUE DE LA BIODIVERSITE DU SOL IL VALORE ECONOMICO DELLA BIODIVERSITA’ DEL SUOLO
Soil Biodiversity and Pest Control, BIODIVERSITE DES SOLS ET CONTROLE DES NUISIBLES LA BIODIVERSITA’ DEL SUOLO E LA RESISTENZA AI PARASSITI
Soil Biodiversity and Medicines, BIODIVERSITE DES SOLS ET MEDICAMENTS BIODIVERSITA’ DEL SUOLO E MEDICINE
Finding out about Soil Biodiversity in your garden , DECOUVRIR LA BIODIVERSITE DES SOLS DANS VOTRE JARDIN SCOPRI LA BIODIVERSITA’ DEL SUOLO NEL GIARDINO DI CASA
The BIO-BIO Project: Assessing the health of soil through biodiversity and bio-indicators , Le projet BIO-BIO: Evaluer la santé du sol à travers la biodiversité et les bio-indicateurs -
Reducing Threats to Soil Biodiversity , REDUIRE LES MENACES SUR LA BIODIVERSITE DES SOLS -
Further Information on Biodiversity , Pour plus d’informations sur ce que vous avez vu ici, n’hésitez pas à contacter -
Download All Posters English Version Download All Posters French version Download All Posters Italian version

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Scenes from the event

   
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European Commission - Joint Research Centre
Institute for Environment and Sustainability
Contacts:
Marc Van Liedekerke(tel. +39-0332-785179)
Panos Panagos (tel. +39-0332-785574)