Climate Change Soil Microorganisms and Pests

Our soil however is often overlooked—it’s teeming with billions of microscopic organisms that comprise the most biodiverse environment on Earth. Like all living things they’re affected by climate change too. There’s a fact that frequently gets mentioned when people talk about soil: There are more microorganisms in a teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on Earth. The matrix of living creatures that recycle plant and animal life is incredibly complex with bacteria protozoa fungi actinomycetes nematodes and others interacting in countless largely-unmapped ways. Climate change is likely to have severe impacts on the abundance distribution and seasonal timing of pests and their natural enemies which will alter the degree of success of biological control programs. Phytophagous insect species are naturally controlled by top-down (natural enemies) and bottom-up (host plant availability and quality) mechanisms.