**Author details**

#### Cristina Menta

86 Biodiversity Conservation and Utilization in a Diverse World

not well understood at a molecular level [3].

needed for biodiversity conservation.

generations.

**8. Conclusion** 

community and diversity might not be in-step with plant succession. Species of soil biota found in early successional stages persist in later stages, although with changes in dominance and species frequency [3]. Species replacement is either less pronounced or it occurs on a different time scale. In a study of grassland succession from 7 to 29 years into restoration, the changes in soil faunal species in Isopoda, Chilopoda and Diplopoda did not correspond with plant successional changes, although the macro-invertebrate diversity and density increased with field age, but decreased in the oldest field [115]. Environmental changes during succession increased the amount of basal resources that provided various micro-habitat and nutrient resources for macro-invertebrates that could lead to the establishment of a diverse community [3]. An increase in the amount of habitable space created by increasing pore surface area would increase the abundance of the macro-invertebrates [115]. It is still not clear to what extent different groups of organisms, such as nematodes, microarthropods or bacteria, respond separately or as an integrated food web community to plant succession. Mechanisms of feedback interactions of soil organisms among themselves and with roots are complex, and

Too rarely do we pause to reflect on the fact that soil is the foundation upon which society is sustained and evolves, that it is a vital component of ecological processes and cycles, as well as the basis on which our infrastructure rests. Often not enough importance is given to the fact that soil quality and its protection contribute significantly to preserving the quality of life, and that the nutrition and health of humans and animals cannot be separated from the quality of the soil. Growing pressures from an ever increasing global population, as well as threats such as climate change and soil erosion, are placing increasing stresses on the ability of soil to sustain its important role in the planet's survival. Evidence suggests that while increased use of mono-cultures and intensive agriculture has led to a decline in soil biodiversity in some areas, the precise consequences of this loss are not always clear [1]. Soil is one of the fundamental components for supporting life on Earth. It is the processes that occur within soil, most of which are driven by the life that is found there, which drive ecosystem and global functions and thus help maintain life above ground. Soil performs numerous ecosystem functions and services, ranging from providing the food that we eat to filtering and cleaning the water that we drink. It is used as a platform for building and provides vital products such as antibiotics, as well as containing an archive of our cultural heritage in the form of archeological sites. Life within the soil is hidden and so often suffers from being 'out of sight and out of mind' [1]. A more complete knowledge of soil fauna is

Only by knowing soil in all its complexity, while maintaining its functionality and quality through actions aimed at protecting its properties, and acknowledging the importance it assumes in the quality of life worldwide, can we embark on a truly sustainable use of soil perceived as a resource and build a proper Man / Soil relationship to be left to future *Department of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy* 
