Soil Biodiversity: Meso and Macro Fauna Webinar

How does soil fauna contribute to soil health, and how can we better monitor and integrate it into biodiversity assessment frameworks? This webinar brought together researchers and experts from leading EU projects and institutions to explore the ecological role of soil meso- and macrofauna, alongside current advances and challenges in soil biodiversity monitoring. From earthworms and springtails to larger soil invertebrates, these organisms play essential roles in nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, soil structure formation, and ecosystem resilience. Yet monitoring and integrating soil fauna into soil health assessment frameworks remains a significant scientific and operational challenge. Through perspectives ranging from ecology and monitoring methodologies to national monitoring systems and citizen science initiatives, the session explored how soil fauna can contribute to more robust biodiversity assessment and soil health monitoring across Europe. With contributions from: SOB4ES, BIOservicES, INRAE ( French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment) and SoilRise. The session highlighted: Ecological roles of soil meso- and macrofauna Traditional, morphological, and molecular approaches for soil fauna assessment Earthworms and soil biodiversity monitoring National-scale soil biodiversity monitoring frameworks Citizen science and participatory monitoring approaches Perspectives for integrating soil fauna into soil health and biodiversity frameworks