Worldcrunch (original) (raw)

PARIS — The European Conservatory of Soil Samples (CEES) is an elegant, single-story building that was partially constructed using soil from its foundations, through the ancestral technique of rammed earth. Located near Tours, southwest of Paris, it is part of the INRAE Val de Loire center, a research institute working for greater sustainability of natural resources, agricultural and forestry systems and the biodiversity associated with them.

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On its on 8 kilometers of shelves, the conservatory houses tens of thousands of soil samples. But what is the purpose of archiving these samples?

The answer is that the precious services that soil provides, including carbon storage and rainwater retention, are under threat. And they are being undermined by human activities that are dislocating their astonishing and oftentimes hidden richness. It is hard to imagine, but 25% of the world's biodiversity hides underground. A living capital that we must learn to protect, an effort that requires knowing and studying it.