Pollinators such as bees, wasps and butterflies make a vital contribution to stable ecosystems: they enable numerous plants to reproduce and increase the yields of many crops by transferring pollen between flowers. What is less well known, however, is that many of them spend crucial phases of their lives on or in the soil, where they nest, rest or hibernate. It is also unclear what conditions pollinators need during their time in the soil and to what extent modern soil management practices harm both the insects and the ecosystem services they provide.

This is where the EU project ProPollSoil comes in. Its aim is to investigate the relationship between pollinators and soil health. The project brings together an international team of experts led by the Technical University of Munich and is funded with a total of €7.7 million over four years as part of the European research and innovation programme Horizon Europe.

The importance of soil for pollinators

The project investigates the as yet little-researched importance of soil for pollinators and develops innovative soil management practices that protect ground-nesting pollinators, thereby opening up new approaches to soil and insect conservation. To this end, the remaining ‘hotspots’ of healthy soil that promote high pollinator diversity are being identified, habitats on agricultural land are being improved, and targeted measures to protect biodiversity are being implemented.

Improving soil and pollinator protection

‘With ProPollSoil, we are bringing together leading European research to highlight a previously underestimated dimension of biodiversity conservation,’ explains Gert Bange, Vice President for Research at the University of Marburg, one of the 23 partner organisations. Sara Leonhardt from the lead organisation, the Technical University of Munich, adds: ‘Ultimately, the research will contribute to better protection of soils and the pollinators that depend on them.’

lh