Welcome to Jardibiodiv, a citizen science tool for discovering the soil biodiversity in urban garden and other green space (cultivated or not).

Let's observe together this relatively unknown because hidden, but helpful biodiversity!

What are the goal of Jardibiodiv?

Jardibiodiv was created in 2017 by a French soil ecologist, in order to share her knowledge in a simple way.

You can help to understand and quantify the pressure on soil biodiversity by sharing your own observation through this tool. You will also learn about diversity of soil small animals that you can find in your garden, and their roles. Do you know how all these tiny organisms can help your plants in your garden?  

Thanks to your observation and your sharing, we will better know this unknown biodiversity by quantifying it and we will try to find solutions to protect soil biodiversity together.  

Why studying soil biodiversity?

Soil biodiversity, especially the invertebrates - animals lacking a backbone -, that you will discover through this tool, plays essential roles for soil functioning, plants growth and then, human well-being. Indeed, these organisms transform dead plant material in chemical elements directly available for plants (recycling, soil fertility), they help in the soil structuration by moving at the soil surface or in the soil, and creating agregate by mixing soil elements. Finally, they are good regulator by activating micro-organisms (fungi, bacteria) and/or eating some preys.

However, lot of different human pressures might induce loss or decrease of some species abundance, but a which extent?

Today, few data are available on soil biodiversity in green space in cities; this implies difficulty, even for scientist, to predict the current state and the future of all these organims of great importance.  

 How to use Jardibiodiv?

 Just have a look at the soil surface, under a stone, a wood stick, or tree leaves. You can just raise these elements. Perhaps, you will find an animal; if it is the case, just try to catch it following this method or take a picture and send it here (you just have to register).

Another way to sample organisms is to use a scientific protocol that consists of the installation of a cup in the soil for 7 days (the protocol is available here). 

By following this tool, you will learn to identify and name the organisms that you will found.

Finally, thanks to a list of sheets you will discover the roles and other details for each organism that you can find in a green space.

This citizen science tool was created by Dr. Apolline Auclerc, a soil ecologist and soil invertebrates specialist; she is Assistant Professor at University of Lorraine and Laboratoire of Soils and Environment (LSE, UMR 1120 INRA) in France.