Swiss Review 6/2020

Swiss Review / November 2020 / No.6 24 Science A new scientific discipline Diversity and intensity. “Both these factors say something about the pres- ence and activity of organisms in the soil,” says Lerch. By the end of 2021, the aim is to see whether these twin factors can be used as parameters to gauge soil health. If they can, this would be a breakthrough for the emerging and burgeoning scientific discipline of ecoacoustics, one of whose most prominent exponents is Swiss scientist Marcus Maeder. Ecoacoustics could one day become a tool for measuring and assessing bio- diversity. Our soils are suffering Maeder’s original specialism was mu- sicology. “A field of organically grown oats sounds acoustically richer than a field of conventionally grown pota- toes,” he says. However, Maeder is less interested in artistic criteria. What matters is soil health. Many Swiss soils are in poor condition, says Sabine Lerch. “Our soils are suffering inmany ways.We are either covering the earth with concrete and asphalt, or we are working the soil very intensively and with increasingly heavy machines.” We are also polluting the soil with chemicals such as pesticides and fer- tilisers. Scratching the surface “The question of what happens to soil has barely entered the public or polit- ical consciousness,” she adds. Many of us view the dirt under our feetmerely as the “surface”. Even conservationists prefer to study biodiversity above ground, not underground. “And I can understandwhy.We focus onwhat we can see, what immediately stirs our emotions,” says Lerch. Giving the soil a voice Aside fromthe research, Sounding Soil is also an avowed attempt to raise awareness. “We want to give the soil a voice,” says Lerch. Because what hap- pens below ground ultimately affects us all. “For example, think about how important soil is for water manage- ment and food production.” In the best-case scenario, putting our ears to the ground will not only deliver a sci- entific outcome but will also encour- age a newappreciation of the very soil on which and from which we live. In the worst-case scenario, the micro- phones that Marcus Maeder devel- oped will simply record the soundtrack of climate change and the decline of biodiversity. An organically farmedAlpine pasture. An intensively farmed field. What do they sound like underground? What noises emanate from the forest floor? For a selection of subterranean sound recordings, visit www.revue.ch. Sounding Soil Sounding Soil is an interdisciplinary research project focus- ing on the sounds that occur in soil. Put simply: the project, due to run until 2021, aims to investigate the acoustics of soil ecosystems and better understand how differences in land use affect these acoustics. The conclusion so far: the greater the variety of living organisms in the soil, the more complex the sound. Sounding Soil is jointly sponsored by the following institu- tions: Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Biovision Founda- tion for Ecological Development, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (NABO), ETH Zurich (Institute of Terres- trial Ecosystems) and the Research Institute of Organic Agri- culture (FiBL). Further information: www.soundingsoil.ch Acoustic soil recordings: www.soundingsoil.ch/en/listen