Research: Soil Microarthropod Biodiversity
SUNY Cobleskill
The State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill has been a leader in hands-on learning for more than a century. The college has a strong emphasis on sustainability in agriculture and environment and natural resource conservation.
Soil-dwelling invertebrate biodiversity of the Native Meadow Trials
Linkages between Invertebrate biodiversity below-ground, and vegetative biodiversity above-ground are the focus of our studies. In support of the Farm Hub’s vision of maintaining a diverse landscape (both above and below ground) that supports both agriculture and natural systems, we are comparing the below-ground invertebrate biodiversity within four different planting regimes. A recent initiative to enhance native pollinators through the establishment of different native meadow systems at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, promotes an additional goal of improving soil health and below-ground biodiversity. The site for the native meadow plantings include fields that were previously farmed intensively. We are analyzing the biodiversity of soil-dwelling invertebrates within these systems at the levels of abundance, diversity and community composition and documenting changes that might occur over time as soil health improves.
About Carmen Greenwood:
Carmen Greenwood is an Associate Professor at SUNY Cobleskill with research focuses on Insect Ecology and Conservation Biology. Arthropods play critical roles in ecosystem function and constitute about 80% of animal diversity on the planet today. Understanding how different land use practices impact arthropod biodiversity and community structure, is integral to promoting sustainable agriculture and facilitating better interactions between agriculture and adjacent natural systems.
Resources
Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative