Australian Scientists Find Sound Can Help Indicate Soil Health

Recordings made by Flinders University ecologists in Australia show that soundscapes can be an indicator of soil health, as they offer a means of monitoring soil biodiversity via the emerging field of eco-acoustics. In researchers’ most recent study, a below-ground sampling device and sound attenuation chamber were used to record soil invertebrate communities, which were also manually counted. “It’s clear acoustic complexity and diversity of our samples are associated with soil invertebrate abundance — from earthworms, beetles to ants and spiders — and it seems to be a clear reflection of soil health,” says team member and microbial ecologist Dr. Jake Robinson.