An emptiness under our feet

Knowing precisely the characteristics of soils is crucial for quantifying the direct and indirect impacts generated by changes in the uses of these areas, as well as for a sustainable and efficient use of this resource.

Since the origins of our civilization, or at least since the beginning of known history, human beings have had a special suggestion and fascination with some components of the nature of our planet. There are many classic artistic, popular and scientific-philosophical manifestations that deal with freedom, strength and courage associated with groups such as large mammals and birds. From legends such as the Phoenix bird to myths such as Icarus or werewolves, to manuscripts such as Leonardo Da Vinci's studies. All this has generated a bias in the scientific knowledge we have collected to date, where some faunal and botanical groups present enormous quantities of classical and current studies, while others we are just beginning to know their dynamics, because they are a priori less attractive.

What can we understand as soil?

Soil could be defined as the set of mineral particles, organic matter, water, air and living beings located in the upper part of the Earth's crust, giving rise to a highly complex and changing natural system, requiring only subtle changes in these variables to trigger serious repercussions in the short and medium term on its characteristics.
Soil supports most of the planet's terrestrial ecosystems, being a substrate for the development of vegetation and numerous groups of fauna, as well as serving as a genetic reserve, a means of interaction and biomass production. The biodiversity present in the soil goes far beyond our own capacity to detect with the naked eye, as if it happens with some species of vegetation, entomofauna and mammals. There are a large number of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other groups of living beings that find in the soil the conditions necessary for their development as part of processes that affect at the macroscopic level.

Where does the importance of soil lie?

Soil is a living natural entity in constant dynamism, whose alterations, unlike other aspects of our planet, are neither renewable nor reversible on a human scale.
This environment is currently under constant threat, caused by changes in traditional uses, the uncontrolled draining of wetlands, the use of chemical compounds or the accumulation of heavy metals, among other conditions of anthropogenic origin that entail a change in the dynamics of cycles as important as the cycles of nitrogen, carbon or water on our planet. All these alterations cause damage to the health of natural and human systems, such as water pollution, loss of soil fertility for crops, changes in the dynamics of plant systems and the disappearance of species.

But... why study the soil?

Despite its importance in ecosystems, soil generally becomes the most overlooked in biodiversity studies. The characteristics of soils allow the storage of one of the main limiting resources in arid and semiarid ecosystems, such as water. Most of our territory has this type of area, combined with a context of climate change and changes in the distribution of rainfall, causing a constant decrease in humidity in many parts of our geography.
In this way, greater knowledge of the soil, biological characteristics and soil water balances of these areas can greatly contribute to better management, a more sustainable and efficient use of resources. This management becomes even more important if possible when it comes to carrying out Environmental Impact Studies and knowing what are the direct and indirect effects of the implementation of renewable energy projects on the natural systems of our territory. Knowing precisely the possible modifications generated allows the establishment of precise prevention, correction and compensation measures for these impacts and, therefore, reducing them to the maximum and even in some cases improving existing preconditions.
For this reason, Ideas Medio, S.L. has launched a pilot study to collect soil moisture samples using sensors under laboratory conditions, which, once the relevant tests and calibrations have been carried out, will be transferred and implanted directly at various points on the substrate of these structures.

Gaspar Arenas, Biodiversity