BIOMES
The pillars of soil - Monitoring and documenting the arthropod soil biodiversity to assess soil quality and implement measures for soil management and renaturation.
Funding organisation: EU Mission Call A Soil Deal for Europe & Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), duration: 01.12.2024 - 30.11.2026
As part of a two-year study, comprehensive soil monitoring will be carried out using selected soil organisms. The composition of the soil fauna should provide information about the quality of the soil and, accordingly, measures to protect the soil should be implemented in a targeted manner. Literature on soil biology that is not yet available online will also be digitised and made available on the internet, and several workshops will be held to give schools a look over the shoulders of researchers and provide a playful insight into soil research.
In the BIOMES project, we work successfully with schools to explore the fascinating world of soil organisms together. Would you like to take part in a real scientific project with your school? We offer hands-on insights into the work of researchers - from collecting and analysing soil samples to identifying tiny animal species such as springtails, horned mites and millipedes. Your students will have the opportunity to become active in several subjects and gain their own research experience - with the support of our scientific team.
If you are interested in working with us, we look forward to hearing from you. Together we can make biodiversity visible - right under our feet.
Contact: sylvia.schaeffer(at)uni-graz.at and michaela.bodner(at)uni-graz.at
Digitisation and structured indexing of historical specialist literature
Index cards for the literature collection - Prof. Dr Reinhard Schuster
As part of the BIOMES project, a historical, handwritten bibliography on acarology and soil biology was digitised, structured and transferred to a searchable, sustainable research database.
The literature collection comprises 6,318 publications from 208 years (1803-2011), with a focus on the second half of the 20th century. The core of the collection is centred on the 1960s-1980s, with a peak in the 1970s (1,487 publications). The collection specialises in acarology and soil biology, in particular horn mites (Oribatida) and related groups.
The database enables targeted searches; individual works can be requested directly via an integrated e-mail function.
