INDIA'S SOIL BIODIVERSITY India’s soil biodiversity is in grave peril, according to the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas, prepared by the World Wide Fund for Nature. India’s soil biodiversity is in grave peril, according to the Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas, prepared by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Risk Index The WWF’s risk index’s for the globe - indicating threats from loss of above-ground diversity, pollution and nutrient over-loading, over-grazing, intensive agriculture, fire, soil ero- sion, desertification and climate change - shows India among countries whose soil biodiversity faces the highest level of risk. Coloured red on the Atlas, these include Pakistan, China, several countries in Africa and Europe, and most of North America. Status of Soil Biodiversity Soil biodiversity encompasses the presence of micro-organ- isms, micro-fauna (nematodes and tardigrades for example), and macro-fauna (ants, termites and earthworms). The population of fish, birds, mammals, am...