Did you know soil has a soundtrack of its own?

With an estimated 59% of the planet’s species living underground [1], scientists are “listening in” to soil biodiversity with underground microphones [2]. If you press a sensitive microphone into the ground, you won’t hear silence... you’ll hear a tiny, chaotic orchestra: earthworms sliding through burrows, beetles communicating, ants marching, all generating faint vibrations as they go about their busy underground lives. Ecologists call this discipline “soil eco-acoustics” [3] and it shows that soil sound can be used to detect, and even start to tell apart species. The rule of thumb is simple: the healthier the soil, the noisier it is.
 
This type of sensor-based biodiversity evaluation could offer more systematic monitoring of soil health. While EU Soil Monitoring Law [4] asks Member States to keep an eye on soil, scientists studying eco-acoustics suggest listening could also be helpful.

[1] Enumerating soil biodiversity | PNAS
[2] Good vibrations: how listening to the sounds of soil helps us monitor and restore forest health | THE CONVERSATION
[3] Monitoring soil fauna with eco-acoustics | The Royal Society Publishing 
[4] Soil Monitoring Law | European Union