CDFA Secretary Karen Ross kicked off the events of Healthy Soils Week by hosting a webinar to emphasize the importance and the impact of belowground biodiversity on soil health.
Secretary Ross introduced attendees to the Belowground Biodiversity Advisory Committee (BBAC) and highlighted the progress the committee has made over the past five months. The Secretary facilitated the panel discussion with Deputy Director for Climate and Ecosystem Sciences at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Dr. Eoin Brodie. Secretary Ross and Dr. Brodie were joined by panelists Dr. Jeniffer Pett-Ridge from the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Dr. Amanda Hodson of the University of California’s Jackson Soil and Root Ecology Lab, and Dr. Daniel Rath of the UC Davis Scow Soil Microbial Ecology Lab. The panelists answered questions from Secretary Ross and participated in a Q&A with the public.
Healthy soil practices improve soil water holding capacity, infiltration, and water availability and quality while reducing soil erosion, runoff, and dust. Soil health is central to food productivity and climate change resiliency. Secretary Ross acknowledged the soil underneath our feet being a living and breathing ecosystem that is vibrant and diverse.
CDFA created the BBAC to better understand how soil biodiversity may impact soil health. The committee is charged with preparing a report with recommendations on biodiversity indicators as a proxy of soil health and ecosystem functions. The committee is expected to present their final report and recommendation by March 2023. The report will inform the policies on nature-based solutions for Natural and Working Lands and further the state’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.
The committee is made up of world-renowned scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Stanford University, Colorado State University, University of California, and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service.
To find out more about CDFA’s Healthy Soils Week and a full list of participating organizations, be sure to visit the Healthy Soils Week webpage.
WATCH: Full-length recording of the Healthy Soils Week BBAC Webinar