title: Life in earth: the impact of GM plants on soil ecology?
abstract: The impact of changes incurred by agricultural biotechnology has led to concern regarding soil ecosystems and, rightly or wrongly, this has focused on the introduction of genetically modified (GM) crops. Soils are key resources, with essential roles in supporting ecosystems and maintaining environmental quality and productivity. The complexity of soils presents difficulties to their inclusion in the risk assessment process conducted for all GM plants. However, a combined approach, informed by both soil ecology and soil quality perspectives, that considers the impacts of GM crops in the context of conventional agricultural practices can provide a regulatory framework to ensure the protection of soils without being overly restrictive.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Lilley
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Penny R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hirsch
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D008954:Models, Biological; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D012987:Soil; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D012987:Soil