Towards 2030: A Soil Biology, Ecosystems and Biodiversity Perspective on Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13 Climate Action

Building on the Millennium Development Goals, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, billed by the UN as “An Agenda of unprecedented scope and significance.” The 17 ambitious goals, which are intended to be reached by 2030, are conceived as integrated, indivisible, and as balancing the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. As a member of the SDGs Publishers Compact, Frontiers is committed to accelerating progress to achieve the goals. This Research Topic will address Climate Action. Atmospheric concentrations of the major greenhouse gases continued to increase despite the temporary reduction in emissions in 2020 related to measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Climate change is making the achievement of many Goals less likely. To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in accordance with the Paris Agreement, the world would need to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by around 2050. As of April 2020, 118 countries and territories had reported the development and adoption of national or local disaster risk reduction strategies, an increase from 48 countries and territories in the first year of the Sendai Framework. According to scientists, global emissions should be cut to 45 percent below 2010 levels by 2030 in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Emissions from developed countries were approximately 6.2 percent lower in 2019 than in 2010, whereas emissions from 70 developing countries increased by 14.4 percent in 2014.

Soils are a wonderful gift of nature and provide goods and a wide diversity of ecosystem services to society. It is a foundation for producing food, fiber, and fuel for the growing population. Additionally, it can act as a medium for water storage and purification, climate regulation, buffering and filtering of pollutants, nutrient cycling, physical stability and support, controlling erosion, and flood regulation. Soils are a habitat for soil organisms, hosting a quarter of our planet’s biodiversity and thus soil biodiversity is the foundation of soil health. Hence, we must nourish, protect, maintain good soil health and explore the full potential of soils. United Nations members adopted the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in 2015 to improve soil health and restore degraded soils by adopting region or agro-climatic zone or state-specific suitable and sustainable climate-smart soil and crop management practices. Climate-smart soil management practices may reduce the vulnerability to climate-related shock and risks, drought, pests, and diseases, hence improving the agricultural productivity and resilience by adopting long-term stresses such as erratic weather patterns and shortened seasons. Besides, the global population is expected to rise from 6.7 billion to 9 billion by 2050 and thus, there is an increased demand for agricultural products. However, global agriculture is facing tremendous challenges due to changes in rainfall and temperature patterns, increasing extreme weather events, soil, and land degradation, altered pest, and disease profile, etc. As a result, the resiliency of agricultural soils is being tested more than ever. To enhance food production, ensure food and livelihood security, and mitigate climate change, sustainable climate-smart soil management strategies (e.g., reduced tillage, biochar, improved crop rotations, cover crops, organic amendments, nutrient management, land restoration, etc.) are of prime importance.

This research topic will address climate action from a soil biology, ecosystems, and biodiversity perspective. How can Climate Action be achieved through the research of soil scientists in the field of Soil Biology, Ecosystems, and Biodiversity and give rise to different outcomes (with both negative and positive effects) for soil ecosystems, agricultural sustainability, food productivity? This special issue will provide a platform for scientists to showcase their research and share their knowledge on the latest developments and innovations in the field of climate-smart soil management practices and their contribution toward sustainable crop production. In general, all the articles published in the upcoming series will be suitable for agronomists, soil scientists, environmentalists, researchers, agricultural policymakers, and students who wish to simultaneously enhance the production and profitability of land resources in an ecofriendly manner. All the articles will be well-illustrated with the latest findings and innovations, figures, appropriately placed data tables, and supported with extensive and most recent references. All researchers from soil science, agronomy, and environmental science can contribute their original research articles with sufficient data, robust and eco-friendly methodology, innovative ideas, and scientific findings in the upcoming issue. Manuscripts in the following areas will be considered for the peer-review process:

1. Soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics and GHGs emissions from agricultural ecosystems
2. Carbon farming and carbon market
3. Climate change impact on soil biodiversity, rhizosphere biology, nutrient cycling, and other ecosystem services
4. Sustainable soil management strategies/practices to combat climate change and ensure food security
5. Prediction of carbon stocks under sustainable crop management practices using modeling