This edition of CIEEM’s In Practice magazine is focused on “Understanding and Managing Soils” and the critical importance of recognising soils as a living, functioning ecosystem rather than a lifeless material. It highlights how failing to properly understand, protect and manage soil systems, and not putting appropriate safeguards in place at the outset of a project, can significantly undermine ecological outcomes, leading to reduced biodiversity, impaired ecosystem function, and long-term challenges for habitat restoration and land management.
In response to this growing need for better soil understanding, we’ve developed a technique that allows us to listen to and measure soil biology. This emerging approach is already gaining traction in regenerative agriculture, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) schemes, and landscape recovery projects.
Our article, “Soil Ecoacoustics: Listening In to Soil Health”, written by our Managing Director Andrew Baker and Data Analyst Karthik Ashok at Baker Consultants, introduces the concept of “listening to the soil” as a meaningful indicator of biodiversity and ecosystem function. It draws on findings from a DEFRA-funded research programme led by the University of Warwick and Baker Consultants, which has produced the world’s largest systematic database of soil sound recordings and supported the development of a hand-held Soil Acoustic Meter (SAM).
Soil ecoacoustics builds on established ecoacoustic methods used in above-ground ecology, applying them below ground to capture the soundscapes created by soil organisms such as earthworms, beetle larvae, ants, and other invertebrates. These acoustic signatures can then be analysed to provide insights into soil biodiversity, structure, and overall health.
In the article, we explore how acoustic indices are used to translate complex soil soundscapes into measurable data, enabling comparisons across sites, seasons, and land management practices. We also consider how this approach is already being applied in practical settings.
Finally, we reflect on the wider implications for land management and environmental monitoring, particularly the potential for more accessible, cost-effective and repeatable soil health assessments that can support farmers, ecologists and policymakers alike.
The full edition is now available to read online for CIEEM members. If you’re not a member, you can still view our article here.
We regularly share updates as this research develops and as soil ecoacoustics moves further into practical application across conservation and agriculture. To keep up to date with the latest news and developments, visit our sister company Soil Acoustics website here and follow on LinkedIn here.
The Baker Consultants team is highly experienced and we are passionate about what we do. If you need advice related to ecology, surveys or conservation, then please get in touch with us via our contact form on the website, or you can call us on +44 (0)1629 593958 or email us on info@bakerconsultants.co.uk.