3. Impact of contamination on soil biodiversity

3.1 Biodiversity in soils

In 2008, research estimated that 75% of the Earth's soils were already under the influence of human activity. . Today, over 55% of the world's population lives in "urban" or "peri-urban" areas, with direct or indirect impacts on the biodiversity of the soils hosting this urban population. Soil is a fabulous reservoir of biodiversity, both taxonomic and functional, which must be preserved. Indeed, this biodiversity underpins many environmental functions and ecosystem services (see § 1.1.2) provided by soils. With the...