The unknown underworld: Understanding soil health in South Africa

Abstract

The need to provide food security to a growing human population in the face of global threats such as climate change, land transformation, invasive species and pollution is placing increasing pressure on South African soils. South Africa is losing an estimated 300–400 million tonnes of soil annually, while soil degradation is a major threat to agricultural sustainability. In spite of these problems, treatment of soil health in biodiversity assessment and planning in South Africa has been rudimentary to date.