The underground soundwaves increase soil health because healthy soils generate a symphony of subtle sounds, akin to an underground rave filled with pops and clicks, though they’re mostly inaudible to human ears. Ecologists have made special recordings that capture these complex soundscapes, using them to gauge the diversity of microscopic organisms in the soil. These tiny creatures produce sounds as they move and interact with their surroundings, and this auditory chaos offers insights into the health and variety of life beneath the surface.
| Date | August 16, 2024 |
| Source | Flinders University |
| Summary | Ecologists from Flinders University in Australia have recorded these chaotic soundscapes, revealing that they can serve as indicators of the diversity of microscopic organisms inhabiting the soil. |
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How the underground soundwaves increase soil health
Underground soundwaves refer to the vibrations and acoustic signals produced beneath the Earth’s surface. These soundwaves can be generated by various sources, including the movement and interactions of soil organisms, natural processes such as water flow, and human activities like drilling or tunneling.
- Healthy soils, though nearly inaudible to the human ear, generate a vibrant array of sounds, much like an underground rave filled with pops and clicks. Ecologists from Flinders University in Australia have recorded these chaotic soundscapes, revealing that they can serve as indicators of the diversity of microscopic organisms inhabiting the soil. These creatures create sounds as they move and interact with their environment. With 75% of the world’s soils degraded, the future of these underground ecosystems is at risk without restoration, warns microbial ecologist Dr. Jake Robinson from the Frontiers of Restoration Ecology Lab at Flinders University.
- This emerging field of research seeks to explore the vast and bustling hidden ecosystems, where nearly 60% of Earth’s species reside. Restoring and monitoring soil biodiversity has never been more critical. Although still in its infancy, ‘eco-acoustics’ is becoming a promising tool for detecting and monitoring soil biodiversity and has already been applied in Australian bushland and various ecosystems in the UK.
- The acoustic complexity and diversity are significantly higher in revegetated and remnant plots compared to cleared plots, both in situ and in sound attenuation chambers. This complexity and diversity also closely correlate with the abundance and richness of soil invertebrates.
- In the latest study, involving Flinders University expert Associate Professor Martin Breed and Professor Xin Sun from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, researchers compared acoustic monitoring results from remnant vegetation, degraded plots, and land that was revegetated 15 years ago. The study took place in the Mount Bold region of the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, using passive acoustic monitoring tools and indices to measure soil biodiversity over five days.
- A below-ground sampling device and sound attenuation chamber were employed to record soil invertebrate communities, which were also manually counted. “Our findings clearly show that the acoustic complexity and diversity of our samples are linked to the abundance of soil invertebrates, from earthworms and beetles to ants and spiders, reflecting overall soil health,” says Dr. Robinson. All living organisms produce sounds, and our initial results suggest that different soil organisms create unique sound profiles based on their activity, shape, appendages, and size. This technology offers great potential in addressing the global need for more effective soil biodiversity monitoring methods to protect our planet’s most diverse ecosystems.