Soil that exists under our feet is only more than just being the base on which plants grow. Encased beneath the surface of the Earth is a ground which carries and sustains life and ecological system – a treasure trove science has barely tapped into.
This unique and intricate body called the subsoil is where the European project DeepHorizon may do some actual good. With the backing of the European Union as well as specialists across Europe, DeepHorizon is making attempts to readapt many features we have come to associate with soil, and to put into action guidelines that support a healthier environment.
Why Study the Subsoil?
Normally, when we use the word ‘soil’ we consider only the upper layer where we cultivate, dig or tread upon. However, it is still worth noting that the deep soil (subsoil) exists to preserve the water cycle, nutrients and even carbon; very important elements in the fight against climate change. Some of them are hidden beneath the surface and it can hardly be overstressed that they affect soil quality and consequently agriculture, biodiversity as well as climate. DeepHorizon purpose is to ‘unwrap’ the subsoil scientifically after making the premise that subsoil must be alive in some ways and can enhance the above ground existence.
Advanced technology and techniques: the heart of DeepHorizon
DeepHorizon’s strategic is to apply new methods in surveys to reseacrh the subsoil, which was impossible earlier. The assessment tools of the project include the conventional soil analysis approach and trends in soil analysis technology including the Vis-NIR and X-ray tomography. These tools allow us to ‘visualize’ what is inside the soil at a very localized level and to map both the structure and nutrient content as well as organisms within the soil without having to take a large sample. These techniques assist in elucidation of the natural rhythms of the subsoil, and the distribution of the resources such as water and carbon.
Thirst Modelling: BODIUM and ECOSYS
BODIUM as well as the ECOSYS model will be the foundation of DeepHorizon’s novel approach towards investigating the subsoil systems. Originally growing out of BonaRes, BODIUM has since been honed as part of a broader effort, in conjunction with ECOSYS, for a complete and accurate model of the myriad functions within layered subsoil context. Such models enable researchers and stakeholders to understand how water regulation, nutrients and carbon cycling occur in the subsoil system and let more light on the complexity of ecosystems.
These simulations help BODIUM and ECOSYS predict the effects of various agricultural and land management activities on sub-surface systems. For example, some of these models can illustrate how some practices impair water uptake or alter nutrient content and interactions of microbial and root structure in the soil. This ability to predict the outcomes is important in establishing workable measures for the condition and stability of the soil, potentially eliminating long term harm.
In addition, the information collected through BODIUM and ECOSYS serves as a basis for designing policies. These models are useful because they enable policy makers to predict whether particular decisions that are likely to be made about land use will have positive or negative impacts, thus making the solutions to problems of environmental degradation more effective solutions that are capable of balancing productivity and conservation. In this sense, as our DeepHorizon blog users can understand, both BODIUM and ECOSYS link research and practice contributing to the identification of optimum solutions for improving the status of the soil.
DeepHorizon and Climate Change
The Role of Carbon is the keyword in combating climate change and soil is the second biggest pool of carbon on the planet. DeepHorizon study is aimed at identifying the possibility of increased or decreased underground carbon stocks through enhanced carbon sequestration in the subsoil. This not only combats climate change, but it also promotes better and more fruitful health of soils. To do this, the DeepHorizon team uses computer models to investigate the effects of various land-use profiles on the Earth’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide and report back to farmers and policy makers on the best practices to adopt.
People come together to support DeepHorizon
DeepHorizon is a research program but it includes local farmers, researchers, policy makers and other people belonging to the society. To this end, it organizes a community referred to as the Community of Practice (CoP) to include people from all over Europe to share and develop practice-based solutions. The concept behind is that information studied in a laboratory is used in real fields and areas of crops, which in its turn means a direct link between theory and practice. In this way, DeepHorizon ensures that its results are interesting and valuable in daily practice, increasing people’s understanding of the importance of soil in the environment.
Conclusions
The DeepHorizon project is significant critical turning point for advancing knowledge and management of the subsoil. Incorporating advanced models like BODIUM and ECOSYS and technology) the project provides a holistic view into the importance of the subsoil in supporting ecosystems and in combating climate change. These tools enable the scientists, farmers and policy-makers understand, on a concrete and empirical basis, what type of practices in agriculture and land-use most effectively contribute to water/ moisture conservation, carbon sequestration and nutrient recycling and retention.
On the one hand, DeepHorizon is not just a scientific project that tries to approach practice, but it is also a collaborative community that can change the reluctant mind of the industry to turn into sustainable subsurface resources preservation. Thus, the coordinated identification of subsoil characteristics aims at turning expertise in subsoil exploration into public policies and practical actions that would be environmentally friendly as well as promoting agriculture production.
Thus, DeepHorizon is turning into a crucial project to create a more responsible society for soil, in which productivity and preservation will be the cornerstone for a more robust and sustainable world. Hoping that the subsoil remains unseen and untouched by many, such a collective work of experts is closely intertwined with decisions about life above ground and incorporated into the European environmental agenda.
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