The importance of natural science collections in South Africa

Ecosystem functionality is equivalent to biodiversity. This is particularly evident in the soil environment, and Pimentel et al.1 estimated the global economic benefits of soil diversity at USD1.5 trillion. Soils provide a high number of ecosystem services due to the complex communities of organisms living there. These biota contribute to nutrient cycling, waste decomposition, soil formation and water regime control2, and the majority of these organisms are still unknown. These interactions were also highlighted by Louw et al.3 in a South African context, and led to the establishment of the South African Soil Ecology Group in 2011, and a subsequent publication by Janion-Scheepers et al.4 highlighting the gaps in knowledge regarding soil biota in South Africa.