European Dynamics (Greece)

Soil biodiversity and functioning are the foundation of ecosystem sustainability, but we do not know whether current nature conservation areas are efficiently protecting soils. Here, we investigated the contribution of terrestrial nature conservation areas to protect soil biodiversity and functioning across scales. We found no general positive effect on diversity of bacteria, fungi, protists, invertebrates, and nematodes, captured as richness, Shannon diversity and dissimilarity, and 5 soil functions (pathogen control, nutrient provision, soil carbon, soil organic matter decomposition, and soil aggregate stability). Our findings suggest that nature conservation areas show an inconsistent role in protecting soil biodiversity and functioning, as we found mostly non-significant and otherwise mixed effects across scales. Despite few positive and negative effects of protection status, our work highlights the urgent need to directly target soils in nature conservation.

Pesticides are widely distributed in soils1-3, yet their effects on soil biodiversity remain poorly understood4-7. Here we examined the effects of 63 pesticides on soil archaea, bacteria, fungi, protists, nematodes, arthropods and key functional gene groups across 373 sites spanning woodlands, grasslands and croplands in 26 European countries. Pesticide residues were detected in 70% of sites and emerged as the second strongest driver of soil biodiversity patterns after soil properties. Our analysis further revealed organism- and function-specific patterns, emphasizing complex and widespread non-target effects on soil biodiversity. Pesticides altered microbial functions, including phosphorus and nitrogen cycling, and suppressed beneficial taxa, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and bacterivore nematodes. Our findings highlight the need to integrate functional and taxonomic characteristics into future risk assessment methodology to safeguard soil biodiversity, a cornerstone of ecosystem functioning.

The Encyclopaedia Cloacae is a novel and centralised digital platform designed to support and advance wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) by cataloguing pathogens detectable in wastewater and their relevance to public health surveillance. The platform is hosted on the EU Wastewater Observatory for Public Health (EU4S) website, where it is populated with peer-reviewed research through a structured workflow under harmonised criteria which address the presence of pathogens in human excreta, detectability in wastewater, and integration into public health systems. This tri-criteria approach ensures that the database is both scientifically robust and operationally actionable. Complemented by the Visualising the Invisible dashboard, the platform offers geospatial insights into global WBE research activity. By consolidating peer-reviewed evidence on pathogen detectability in wastewater and human excreta, the Encyclopaedia Cloacae enables early detection of infectious diseases, whether already known or newly emerging. The continuously updated repository and geospatial dashboards help to identify surveillance gaps and research hotspots, to support timely public health responses, enhance pandemic preparedness, and strengthen global health security. In addition, it supports One Health strategies, connecting the health of humans, animals, and the shared environment. This article outlines the platform’s architecture, data curation methodology, and future directions, including automation and expansion to encompass broader health determinants such as antimicrobial resistance and chemical hazards.

Abstract Young soil researchers represent a generation that will respond to future soil challenges and implement connected policy developments. They will deal with emerging challenges and opportunities for soil protection, such as climate change, land use change, scenario analysis, big data, modelling integration, one health aspects, and soil living laboratories. In this context, the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) provides an inclusive forum for participatory research in the EU and beyond. In 2021, at the first gathering of the EUSO Stakeholders Forum, young researchers were actively engaged through the establishment of the EU Young Soil Researchers Forum. This resulted in interesting presentations, discussions, and research outputs, which have been brought together in this virtual thematicissue. Similar support for young soil researchers is expected at the 2024 EUSO Stakeholders Forum.

The iPRODUCE Content Marketing and Growth Hacking Playbook is a living document that details the strategy for generation of awareness and outreach through communication and marketing of project content, growth of the project and its target groups through development and absorption of knowledge, and the dissemination of results. The deliverable describes the iPRODUCE main target groups; channels, tools and activities for implementing the strategy; role of partners; timeline; and how the consortium will monitor and assess the impact of its efforts. This deliverable will be updated continuously.

The paper presents the application of the RFID technology in the international system of the European Union (EU) border control. The proposed architecture consists of computerized portable units (equipped with specialized devices for data acquisition) carried by border officers and the server cloud infrastructure. Among other details of the proposed system (such as QR codes or images of people trying to enter EU), RFID information is critical for the border control procedure. It must be read from passports and confronted against local and remote data, stored in the central database The paper presents the general architecture of the proposed border control system. The structure of the application, responsible for connecting the RFID reader with the portable computer and communicating with the Internet database via the Web Services technology is presented. Introduced use cases show functionality of the system, focusing on the acquisition and analysis of the RFID information.