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About this talk

Everything that happens below ground sustains all life above it – yet we rarely think about this mysterious, dark underland. In this talk, Frank Ashwood scratches the surface and takes us on an eye-opening safari through this precious ecosystem, from the ancient forests of New Zealand to the vast black soil deposits of the US and China. Every layer of the pedosphere is a world of its own, each more alien than the last as we travel deeper into the Earth. Through thoughtful insights into winding roots, interconnecting fungal networks, wriggling creatures and mind-blowing microbial life, alongside a showcase of stunning photography, Frank will show that without soil, there would be no life as we know it. Meet pioneering plants and minute animals that are essential to the health and wellbeing of our planet. Learn how soil makes our very existence possible, and marvel at soil as the one the building blocks of evolution, transforming decaying matter into the birthplace of new life. Copies of Frank's book "The world beneath our feet" will be available for purchase after the talk.

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