This article explores the concept of using soil transplants to rebuild damaged underground ecosystems, similar to how doctors perform fecal transplants to restore gut microbiomes. Soil scientists are considering this method to help preserve and restore soils and flora in a future affected by climate change.
The main idea is that soil microbiomes adapt to their climatic conditions and influence the resilience of the plants above. In Australia, drought-tolerant actinobacteria dominate the soil, suggesting that transferring these microbial communities to drought-stricken farmland could enhance drought resilience.
The article highlights the challenges of soil restoration, emphasizing that ecosystem degradation is severe and recovery is often slow and unpredictable. A study from Northeast Queensland showed that even after 30 years of abandoned pasture and 10 years of rainforest planting, soil properties had not significantly improved.
Researchers are exploring new ideas like soil translocation, which involves moving soil with its microbial communities to restore damaged areas. This method shows promise but is complex and can be labor-intensive. Studies have shown mixed results, with some indicating that soil translocation can speed up restoration, while others highlight the difficulty and potential downsides, such as damaging donor sites.
Experiments in Victoria during the Millennium Drought trialed different soil restoration techniques, finding that moving whole slabs of soil was labor-intensive and problematic. More recent approaches have focused on scraping off topsoil to remove exotic seeds and nutrient-rich loam, giving native grasses a better chance to establish.
Overall, soil translocation remains a work in progress, but it may become increasingly important as climate change intensifies, requiring innovative methods to support endangered flora and habitats.
- Source: Cosmos
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