Why did 1,000 Swiss citizens bury their underpants?

In a unique citizen science experiment, 1,000 Swiss citizens buried their cotton underpants over a two-month period to gather data on soil health across the country. The project, detailed in a recent paper published in the journal Plants People Planet, aimed to map soil health and its impact on ecosystem services. Marcel van der Heijden, an agroecologist at the University of Zurich and co-author of the study, explained that the findings revealed how soil management practices significantly affect soil life and quality.

Healthy, biologically active soil is essential for fertility, nutrient cycling, and various other ecosystem services. Soil health is crucial for agriculture and food security, as well as maintaining a healthy global ecosystem. However, soil health has been declining globally, according to the authors. Decomposition rates of complex organic matter, such as leaves, wood, and even cadavers, serve as key indicators of soil health.

These rates break down organic substances into simpler compounds, releasing carbon dioxide and nutrients. While smaller studies have shown that human land use can significantly impact soil biological diversity, large-scale national decomposition studies involving different land use types have been scarce.