This document discusses belowground biodiversity and its importance for sustainable agriculture. It notes that human activities over the last 50 years have significantly degraded ecosystems while increasing human well-being. Belowground biodiversity is much greater than aboveground biodiversity but remains poorly understood due to its complexity. Studying soil organisms is challenging but important functional groups include decomposers, symbionts, and those involved in carbon, nitrogen and nutrient transformations. Molecular techniques are revealing greater unknown diversity in soil. Trees can increase the abundance and activity of beneficial soil biota in agricultural landscapes, mediating some of their effects on crops and enhancing ecosystem services. Further research on belowground biodiversity is needed to improve agroecosystem management and soil health.
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