Effects of land use intensity on european soil bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities

Whilst the importance of soils and their contribution to ecosystem services provision are well recognised, there is a paucity of knowledge on how particular land-use practices affect different types of soil organisms, and subsequently whether this affects soil functioning. The seventh framework programme EcoFINDERS project (Ecological Function and Biodiversity Indicators in European Soils) aims to “Decipher the links between soil biodiversity, activities, functioning and ecosystem services”. Through this project we have examined soil microbes at a number of European locations ranging from Iberian grassland to boreal forest. At each field site a gradient of land-use intensification has been …