Biodiversity is not equally distributed across the globe, and understanding where the biodiversity is distributed and which factors are important in shaping the distribution is important. It is especially important in relation to the conservation of the biodiversity. For many soil fauna groups, little work has been done on investigating these large-scale patterns. Our research aims to fill this gap, not only understanding the distribution at a local scale but also a regional scales, with a goal in understanding the relationship of alpha, beta and gamma diversity.
Humans are having an impact on the world in a myriad of ways, through changes in climate and land use, as well as increases in the amounts of pesticides and nutrients that are applied to the land. These impacts, collectively referred to as global changes, impact biodiversity. Our research aims to understand the magnitude and direction of these impacts on soil fauna communities, and therefore how we may mitigate these impacts in the future. Whilst the majority of the work has been focused on spatial investigations, future work will look at impacts on biodiversity over time.
Earthworms, like many soil biodiversity groups, contribute to many ecosystem functions and services. These include decomposition, water infiltration into the soil, as well as the nutrient cycle. The provision of ecosystem functions are likely linked to earthworm traits, such as their body length, body width, as well as soil feeding position. However, outside of Europe, little work as been done on compiling species-level traits. We work, alongside external research teams, to filling this gap in our knowledge, by using published literature to create a global database on earthworm traits.