Listening to the sounds of soil

Scientists in Australia have found a way to study the health of soil – by listening to it. The team think their method could help to monitor and improve soil all over the world. All living things – mammals, insects and even plants – make sounds, and “ecoacoustics” is the study of them. The method has been used to observe bats, birds and sea creatures. Scientists from Flinders University in Australia wanted to see if they could use ecoacoustics to check how healthy soil was. Dr Jake Robinson from the university told The Guardian newspaper it was like a doctor using a stethoscope to listen to a patient’s heartbeat. Soil can be home to many living things (see panel), and the greater the diversity, the healthier the soil. Invertebrates (animals…

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The Week Junior (UK) (Digital) - 1 Issue, 455

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