Researchers are listening to the subtle symphony of soil to learn about the health of a forest. They found a chorus of high and low-frequency sounds in the soil of restored woodlands, compared with a quieter, less diverse soundscape in damaged habitats.
Ecologists have a long history of tapping into sound waves to glean clues about wildlife and ecosystems. The potential benefits of acoustic surveys are huge: scientists can gather information on species and their abundance with minimal…