Please note that this session was withdrawn and is no longer available in the respective programme. This withdrawal might have been the result of a merge with another session.
SSS8.2 | Pedodiversity: major driving factors and influences on ecosystem features
EDI
Pedodiversity: major driving factors and influences on ecosystem features
Convener: Mauro De FeudisECSECS | Co-conveners: Valeria CardelliECSECS, Calogero Schillaci, Viktoriia HetmanenkoECSECS, Erdona DemirajECSECS
The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has emerged as a central issue in ecological and environmental sciences during the last decade. On the regional or local level, the distribution of species and populations is regarded as strongly affected by abiotic elements. On these scales, the interaction of the various environmental factors induces a wide heterogeneity in soil properties and, thus, an aboveground and belowground habitat variation. The pedodiversity has a significant influence on biodiversity, food production, and water transport, therefore a thorough understanding of pedodiversity is helpful in both soil management and soil protection, and can also be applied in the protection of biodiversity. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the spatial distribution characteristics of pedodiversity and its driving factors is crucial for the protection and management of an ecological system. The present session will provide an overview of studies concerning: i) taxonomic pedodiversity based on the quantification of the different soil types (i.e., different soil classes or soil groups, etc.) in a determined area; ii) functional pedodiversity that deal with the functions (behaviour) that soil could perform within different land uses; and iii) genetic pedodiversity concerning the diversity of genetic horizons and their properties also through the use of quantitative pedology tools.