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Towards valuation of biodiversity in agricultural soils: A case for earthworms

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  • Plaas, Elke
  • Meyer-Wolfarth, Friederike
  • Banse, Martin
  • Bengtsson, Jan
  • Bergmann, Holger
  • Faber, Jack
  • Potthoff, Martin
  • Runge, Tania
  • Schrader, Stefan
  • Taylor, Astrid

Abstract

Soil biodiversity is deteriorating in Europe due to an on-going intensification of agriculture, climate change and food production supporting measures of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Nevertheless, the CAP tries to take biodiversity into account via proposing a range of agri-environmental measures. These ES contribute to food security, climate change mitigation, water retention and plant biomass growth. Healthy soils also help to prevent erosion, desertification, and landslides and to stabilise crop yields. The provision of ES by soil biota is a result of their impact on soil processes in interaction with soil conditions as well as soil management practices of the farmers such as tillage or crop rotations. Some taxa amongst soil biota play key roles in regulating soil processes. With respect to biocontrol of soil-borne pests, the earthworm species Lumbricus terrestris is known to play an important role in suppressing toxigenic plant pathogens, such as Fusarium culmorum and its mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). We highlight the importance of earthworms for pest control to conceptualise and show how farmers' management practices influence soil ecosystem services and outline how this can be examined in a socio-ecological context by providing a concrete example of an economical evaluation of ES provided by earthworms.

Suggested Citation

  • Plaas, Elke & Meyer-Wolfarth, Friederike & Banse, Martin & Bengtsson, Jan & Bergmann, Holger & Faber, Jack & Potthoff, Martin & Runge, Tania & Schrader, Stefan & Taylor, Astrid, 2019. "Towards valuation of biodiversity in agricultural soils: A case for earthworms," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 291-300.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:159:y:2019:i:c:p:291-300
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.02.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Konstantinos X. Soulis & Emmanouil Psomiadis & Paraskevi Londra & Dimitris Skuras, 2020. "A New Model-Based Approach for the Evaluation of the Net Contribution of the European Union Rural Development Program to the Reduction of Water Abstractions in Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-25, September.
    3. Weituschat, Chiara Sophia & Pascucci, Stefano & Materia, Valentina Cristiana & Caracciolo, Francesco, 2023. "Can contract farming support sustainable intensification in agri-food value chains?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    4. Haensch, Juliane & Bergmann, Holger & Quaranta, Gianni & Salvia, Rosanna & Sun, Dingqiang & Zhong, Funing & Plaas, Elke, 2022. "Water management in agriculture under growing water scarcity: Comparing policy options and listening to stakeholders across Europe, Israel and China," 96th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2022, K U Leuven, Belgium 321231, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    5. Ali Bagheri-Kordeshami & Jahangir Khajehali & Farshid Nourbakhsh & Masoud M. Ardestani, 2021. "Responses of soil-inhabiting mesostigmatid mites to deforestation and disturbance in oak (Quercus brontii) forests of southwestern Iran," Journal of Forest Science, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 67(12), pages 562-569.
    6. Black, Michael A. & Woodward, Richard T. & Morgan, Cristine & Bagnall, Dianna & Kiella, Erin & Cisneros, Marissa & McIntosh, William Alex, 2020. "An empirical estimate of value of manageable soil quality," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304430, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Yosefin Ari Silvianingsih & Kurniatun Hairiah & Didik Suprayogo & Meine van Noordwijk, 2021. "Kaleka Agroforest in Central Kalimantan (Indonesia): Soil Quality, Hydrological Protection of Adjacent Peatlands, and Sustainability," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-20, August.
    8. Steven J. Fonte & Marian Hsieh & Nathaniel D. Mueller, 2023. "Earthworms contribute significantly to global food production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-5, December.

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