BETSI | Biological and ecological functional traits of soil invertebrates to link species assemblages to environmental factors
Ce document présente les principaux résultats du groupe FRB-Cesab Betsi “Traits fonctionnels, biologiques et écologiques, d’invertébrés du sol. Liens espèces/facteurs environnementaux. Réponse des organismes du sol aux facteurs environnementaux et développement de bio-indicateurs“.
Soil fauna is of incredible diversity, representing about 80% of all animal biodiversity. All these living organisms strongly interacted with the environment in which they evolved and provided essential services, playing an important role in the functioning of the soil–plant system. Sometimes true “engineers,” their actions on soils were physical, chemical, as well as biological. They modified soil structure and controlled the bioavailability of water and chemical elements, whether useful or toxic for plants. They also established mutualistic relationships with the microflora and, like earthworm communities, served as indicators of soil quality. The increasing pressures exerted by human activities and climate change threatened soil biodiversity. For example, a decrease of 20 to 90% in earthworm biomass was observed within three years after converting a grassland into cropland.
- organized a database on the functional traits of numerous soil animal species,
- studied the response of soil organisms to environmental factors, such as pressures from human activities (pollution, land use),
- enabled the development of a soil bioindication tool usable by different stakeholders.
The originality of this project lay in the development of an exceptional database on this hidden face of biodiversity. The multidisciplinary nature of the consortium allowed for a broad study of these organisms.
This document summarizes in a few pages the group’s context and objectives, the methods and approaches used, the main findings, as well as the impact for science, society, and both public and private decision-making.
