Introduction to Ecological Risk Assessment - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 578

13.1.3 Public Perception
Although the appreciation of nature and wildlife have experienced an enormous
increase in terms of interest over the last few decades, public appreciation of pro-
tection of living beings in soil has generally been limited. One important aspect that
influences the public's appreciation is that nobody has ever seen the entity 'ecosys-
tem', let alone the soil ecosystem. Nevertheless, the ubiquity of the word ecology or
ecosystem , almost explicitly with a positive connotation, is impressive. The words
are used in the advertisement of widely differing goods, the promotion of financial
products and in school agendas. The term is even found in a wide variety of contexts
on fashionable T-shirts.
The most extreme negative opinion of the soil ecosystem relates to the appear-
ance of organisms in soil: 'One cannot see them and if you could see them you
would not find them pretty.' The most extreme of the positive points of view about
soil organisms comes from individuals who claim that all living matter must be
able to count on unconditional protection, independent of appearance or practical
use. This viewpoint is sometimes based on religious or spiritual principles (Gottlieb
2006 ). In the UN convention of Rio, the first and most important reason for pro-
tection of Biodiversity was its intrinsic value (UNCED 1992 ), which is an ethical
reason. A Forum on Religion & Ecology has been active since 1996 with research,
education and outreach regarding the relationship between ecology and religion
(Religion and Ecology 2009 ). The forum states that, in spite of the abundant scien-
tific knowledge about ecology, widespread global ecological degradation continues.
Therefore, they believe that religious, spiritual and ethical awareness is crucial for
the support of a vibrant community on earth.
However, just like the soil compartments as a whole, see Section 1.1.3 , soil
organisms are not among the most popular organisms. Almost everybody is aware
of the fact that soils are occupied by earthworms and moles. But there are many
more organisms that can be seen with the naked eye, for example, sow bugs, milli-
pedes, centipedes, slugs, snails, and springtails (Sullivan 2004 ). However, not many
kids will mention a nematode or an earthworm as their favourite pet. Another group
(kingdom) of well-known organisms that lives on the soil surface and in the first
few centimetres of soil is that of the arthropods. This group includes insects such as
beetles and ants, arachnids such as spiders and mites, chilopods such as centipedes,
and diplopods such as millipedes. Unfortunately, these organisms are generally con-
sidered rather more as a nuisance to humans than as useful, and are certainly not
considered popular organisms.
Although their functions are unknown to a large section of the human population,
and the majority of the organisms in soil is not visible, one typically has to learn
what is behind the soil ecosystem to appreciate it. In this regard, enthusiastic biology
teachers may provide children with knowledge they can benefit from all through
their lives.
One element that can count on a huge appreciation by many individuals is the
above-ground biology. Human life is unimaginable without plants, trees and ani-
mals. Men depend on them for food and they are important parts of the environment