Laboratory of soil biology

The Laboratory of Soil Biology of the University of Neuchâtel was established in 2009. We study the biodiversity and ecology of soil organisms at the population, community and ecosystem levels. We are interested both in macroscopic (e.g. plants and invertebrates) and microscopic organisms. A strong focus of our research is protistology and an important model group of organisms we use is the testate amoebae. We combine field studies (descriptive and experimental) and laboratory experiments. We conduct research in a broad range of terrestrial to semi-aquatic ecosystem : forests, floodplains, glacier forefront, wetlands and especially peatlands. Applications of our research include biomonitoring of pollution, palaeoecology, and forensic science. We have a strong network of national and international collaborations and are involved in several international projects (EU, US, Canada, Russia, etc.).