A conservation roadmap for the subterranean biome

The 15th UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP15) will be held in Kunming, China in October 2021. Historically, CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome. A multilateral effort to robustly examine, monitor, and incorporate the subterranean biome into future conservation targets will enable the CBD to further improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, subterranean ecosystem services, and the profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity. To this end, we proffer a conservation roadmap that embodies five conceptual areas: (1) science gaps and data management needs; (2) anthropogenic stressors; (3) socioeconomic analysis and conflict resolution; (4) environmental education; and (5) national policies and multilateral agreements.

Automated summary

The upcoming COP15 of CBD in Kunming, China will focus on incorporating the subterranean biome into conservation efforts, aiming to improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources and endemic subsurface biodiversity. A conservation roadmap encompassing five conceptual areas, including science gaps, anthropogenic stressors, socioeconomic analysis, environmental education, and national policies, has been proposed for this purpose.