Abstract
There is a multitude of life forms on our planet. This is especially true under our feet, in the soil. Earthworms, spiders, and millipedes are only a few examples of the vast number of soil organisms. Once you look what lives in soils, you realize the tremendous diversity of shapes and colors. But what if we take the time to describe all their characteristics: color, size, shape, number of legs, type of wings, lifespan, and climate preferences? All these characteristics, called traits, help us to understand what types of organisms can be found in a particular ecosystem, what they feed on, and how far they can travel. Scientists use this information to understand the different roles of organisms in soils, and to restore degraded soils. Analyzing traits can reveal the importance of soil organisms and the fundamental roles they play for human societies.
Highlights
AGE: There is a multitude of life forms on our planet
Di erences in morphological traits between nine species of soil invertebrates belonging to three groups: earthworms, ground beetles, and springtails (Drawing credits: www.lesbullesdemo.fr)
Springtails show almost the same color patterns as earthworms: pigmented species live on top of the soil and unpigmented ones live within the soil [ ]
Summary
CEFE, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Université de Montpellier, Université de Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Montpellier, France INRAE, UMR SAVE, Bordeaux, France Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, Université de Lorraine, INRAE, LSE, Nancy, France. AGE: There is a multitude of life forms on our planet. This is especially true under our feet, in the soil. All these characteristics, called traits, help us to understand what types of organisms can be found in a particular ecosystem, what they feed on, and how far they can travel. What if we take the time to describe all their characteristics: color, size, shape, number of legs, type of wings, lifespan, and climate preferences? Scientists use this information to understand the di erent roles of organisms in soils, and to restore degraded soils. Analyzing traits can reveal the importance of soil organisms and the fundamental roles they play for human societies
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