Soil biodiversity in the anthropocene: Challenges and opportunities

Human changes to the environment have a significant impact on Earth’s biodiversity. Although the majority of studies have focused on aboveground biodiversity, little is known about whether biodiversity changes belowground follow the same patterns as aboveground. Direct human actions such as soil sealing, agricultural land-use intensification, and biological invasions caused by the introduction of non-native species have all been shown to have a significant impact on soil biota populations. Abiotic conditions that have changed as a result of climate change have also had an impact on soil biodiversity.