Davorka Hackenberger Kutuzović

Mission, vision and objective of the Research Group: Soil is the fundamental compartment of life on land and a necessary resource for human species and civilization. Despite the increasing use of water and development of aquaculture, primarily on the seas and oceans, soil is the basis of food production. Therefore, the quantity and quality of food depends on the quantity and quality of available soil. The formation of soil is a long-term biogeochemical process. In this sense, soil can be considered as a conditionally renewable natural resource. Protection of soil, its conservation, restoration and/or revitalization are crucial for survival of both the human species and terrestrial ecological systems. The consequences of continuous industrial development, increased emissions of greenhouse gases, uncontrolled and unprofessional cutting of forests, hydrotechnical activity, excessive and unprofessional agrotechnical measures and other anthropogenic activities cause erosion and devastation of soil, as they wash away organic humus to leave only the inorganic parts which are often granulometrically changed. In this way, the essential soil properties are lost and its biotic potential is reduced or completely lost. It is a paradox that research into soil has been neglected for decades in favor of water environment research. Emerging technological problems of food production and disappearance of certain biotopes stressed out the importance of urgent studying ecological processes in the soil. The primary objective of researches into soil is its preservation and its sustainable exploitation as a resource. Besides erosion caused primarily by anthropogenic activities as well as by secondary effects (climate change), there are other negative effects on soil, such as increased salinization, changes in pH values, changes in water capacity, and changes in other physical and chemical soil properties. Such negative changes of soil affect changes of entire ecological systems. Research Group for Systematic Soil Ecology investigates multiple levels of biomarkers (biochemical, morphometric, behavioral and population biomarkers) connected with changes that are occurring in soil. Since the most of the soil biomass in continental Europe, including Croatia, is made up of earthworms’ fauna, earthworm ecology has been a central research topic of this research group for more than ten years now. However, recent projects are expanding to ecophysiological and ecotoxicological studies of springtails and enchytraeids as important factors in the food chains of ecological soil systems and important providers of ecological services. Researches have been qualitatively and quantitatively balanced to enable application of software by which quantitative indicators and interpretations of field and laboratory measurements are improved. Strict quantification of field research performed by this Research Group made it recognizable among the world’s experts who set the standards for further research. The Research Group participates in several European and global networks. Its vision is to further expand international cooperation and to apply new ecological research methods of systematic soil ecology in nature protection, agriculture and forestry.