Prof Diana Wall: A pioneering researcher and advocate of global soil biodiversity

Abstract

Prof Diana H. Wall was a pioneering scientist, a trailblazer, a mentor for many, and the strongest advocate of soil biodiversity. Her research impacted many aspects of soil ecology, and she was best known for her work in Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys, soil invertebrates, ecosystem services and effects of climate change. Her research and advocacy had transformational impacts both on the fundamental understanding on distributions, functions they provide, and the need for assessment and conservation of soil biodiversity (van der Putten et al., 2023). Her tireless efforts and strongest possible advocacy of soil biodiversity was the foundation of changes we saw in recent years in global policies, including recently adopted agreement to include soil biodiversity in national biodiversity reporting at COP-15 of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada 2022 (The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, 2022). Her scientific contributions have been recognised by many prestigious awards and fellowships including being elected as a member of the National Academy of Science and American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In recognition of her long-term contribution to Antarctic science, an upland Antarctic Valley—the Wall Valley—was named after her.

Soils are critical for supporting food security and climate change regulation. Up to 95% of our food come from soils (World Economic Forum, 2023). Sadly, one-third of these soils are already under some type of degradation. Further, soils provide habitats for 59% of global biodiversity (Anthony et al., 2023) that plays a fundamental role in regulating the function of terrestrial ecosystems, driving key processes such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling and climate regulation (Delgado Baquerizo et al., 2020). However, this awareness was not always there, and soils and their biodiversity were poorly understood and largely underestimated. Diana was a pioneer in investigating and highlighting the fundamental importance of soil biodiversity. Her doctoral thesis on soil nematodes and her novel work describing the soil biodiversity of extreme deserts from Antarctica opened the door to researchers across the globe to investigate and learn more about soil organisms and their role to support ecosystem functions.

Diana was well known for her many leadership activities and has inspired many across the globe. Her research career started with a PhD at the University of Kentucky in 1971, she then moved to the University of California-Riverside. In 1993, she moved to Colorado State University and worked there in various capacities, including a key role in establishing and leading the School of Global Environmental Sustainability. In her strong commitment to support soil biodiversity research and conservation, Diana led and supported many initiatives that have spawned broad engagement and innovation in the field of soil ecology and biodiversity. She was the founder and Scientific Chair of the Global Initiative of Soil Biodiversity (GSBI; https://www.globalsoilbiodiversity.org/), a grassroot organisation that works to link soil scientists to global policies, education and society as a whole. In addition, she was a co-chair of the Soil Biodiversity Observation Network (SoilBoN), and leadership team member of the Global Initiative of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment (GISAE; https://www.globalsustainableagriculture.org/) and the UN Food and Agriculture organisation - Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory (FAO- GLOSOB). Diana had the central role in the production of the first Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas (published in 2016) (Orgiazzi et al., 2015), and the FAO report on State of Knowledge of Soil Biodiversity: Status, Challenges and Potentialities (published in 2020) (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO et al., 2020). She served as President of the Ecological Society of America and the American Institute of Biological Sciences.

On personal note, we had the privilege to know Diana for several years and worked closely with her on a number of global initiatives, policy reports and publications (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO et al., 2020; Orgiazzi et al., 2015). She had exceptional leadership skills to bridge gaps and bring together people from across the world, sectors, and disciplines for greater purpose of science and society. Diana had strong commitment to support equity/equality for underrepresented groups, including early-career scientists from developing countries. Above all, she was a wonderful person, a great mentor and best possible ambassador of science.

We are writing this article with deep sadness on the passing of Prof Diana Wall on 25 March 2024, which is an irreplaceable loss for Science and Science-policy-society interface. Yet, her legacy will endure in the number of global policies, next-generation science leaders and innovative research she has driven and inspired. It is the responsibility of all of us to build on and continue advocacy for importance, assessment, and conservation of soil biodiversity. That will be a true tribute we can pay for Diana's life.