The first Global Soil Biodiversity Conference will be organized by the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI) and EcoFINDERS, from 2-5 December in Dijon, France. Held under the theme 'Assessing Soil Biodiversity and Its Role for Ecosystem Services,' this first GSBI conference will summarize the current state of knowledge and recent achievements in the science of soil biodiversity. The goals of the conference will be to promote scientific research on the role of soil biodiversity for ecosystem functions and services, and integrate such understanding into environmental agendas, sustainable policies and land management decisions globally. Topics to be addressed include: discovery and observation; tracking and monitoring; assessing pressures and threats; strategies for management and conversation; soil ecology education; and global harmonization of methods for structural and functional diversity of soil organisms.  

dates: 2-5 December 2014  
venue: Palais des Congrès  
location: Dijon, Bourgogne, France  
contact: French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA)  
e-mail: gsbi1@dijon.inra.fr  
www: http://www.gsbiconference.elsevier.com/index.html