More than half of Earth’s species live in the soil, study finds

Holacanthella spinosa, a genus of giant springtail that lives in the soil. Photograph: Andy Murray/PNAS

More than half of all species live in the soil, according to a study that has found it is the single most species-rich habitat on Earth.

Soil was known to hold a wealth of life, but this new figure doubles what scientists estimated in 2006, when they suggested 25% of life was soil-based.