More Than Half of All Life on Earth Lives Underground: Why the Ground Beneath Us Matters More Than We Think
Most people, when they think about life on Earth, picture forests, oceans or savannahs teeming with animals they can see. But a growing body of scientific research paints a very different picture. New studies of soil biodiversity now show that around 59 percent of all species on the planet rely on soil for at least some part of their life cycle, making the ground beneath our feet the most biodiverse habitat on Earth.
What Lies Beneath
The underground ecosystem is much richer than most people think. Researchers studying global soil biodiversity found that soil houses:
•99 percent of Enchytraeidae worms, the tiny cousins of earthworms
•90 percent of the fungi species
•86% of plants through their root systems
•More than half of all the bacteria
That is why this hidden world goes unnoticed in our daily lives, because only about 3 percent of mammals live underground.
The Deep Biosphere: Life Under the Soil
Below the soil lies a world even stranger. The deep biosphere extends kilometers into the Earth’s crust and seafloor. Scientists drilling deep wells – more than 3 miles down – have found that roughly 70 percent of Earth’s bacteria and archaea, microbes without a cell nucleus, live there, feeding on energy from rocks rather than sunlight. It is thought that this underground zone would harbor 15 to 23 billion tonnes of microbial life, which is hundreds of times the combined weight of every human on the planet.
Why it matters in everyday life
This is not a mere oddity for scientists. Healthy soil supports the food that makes it to markets in Manila and Mexico City. Fungi and microbes break down organic material, feed plant roots and help crops fight off drought and disease. This invisible workforce weakens when the soil is degraded by overuse, deforestation, or chemical overload, and food systems around the world suffer with lower yields and higher prices.
“Easy Ways Communities Can Help Save Life Underground”
•Encourage composting and organic farming instead of relying heavily on chemical fertilizers. 6.
•Minimise tillage and other unnecessary soil disturbance.
•Plants, trees, and cover crops protect the soil from erosion.
•Re-instate local and national soil conservation programs where they exist.
•Cut down on plastic and chemical waste that seeps into the ground.
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Conclusion
The fact that more than half of life on Earth lives below the surface changes the way we should think about conservation. Protect the rainforests and protect the oceans, but also protect the soil under our own backyards, farms and cities. This hidden biosphere silently supports the food, air and water systems that every person on Earth relies on.
The next time you walk on grass or turn the soil in your garden, imagine you are walking over more life than there is anywhere above ground.
