Soil habitats range in size from micro-niches to entire landscapes,
while soil biodiversity includes all varieties of life
dwelling in the soil habitat below- and aboveground. It is now
acknowledged that soil biodiversity supplies many ecosystem
services essential to humans and the environment, such
as the support of primary production through organic matter
(OM) and nutrient cycling; climate control through the
regulation of C and N fluxes; control of pests and diseases
for humans, animals, and plants; and decontamination of the
environment. This puts soil biodiversity at the epicenter of
cross-disciplinary research.