Résumé
Despite its importance for human activities, soil biodiversity remains largely unknown and threatened. Aware of the need for large-scale monitoring, we studied the feasibility to add a soil biodiversity survey (RMBS-Biodiversity) to the already existing French soil quality monitoring network (RMQS). We worked with soil biodiversity experts to couple RMBS-Biodiversity with RMQS i.e. to choose soil taxons and functions, the methodologies and the sampling design. According to the experts, the sampling design of RMQS fits with a soil biodiversitysurvey. We propose sampling protocols for i) bacteria and fungi, ii) protists, iii) nematodes, iv) mesofauna (particularly springtails), v) below-ground macrofauna (earthworms), vi) surface macrofauna (beetles and spiders), and considering functions, vii) soil porosity, viii) enzymatic activity and ix) organic matter degradation. The RMBSBiodiversity data would be used to assess the distribution and monitor the changes in soil biodiversity at the scale of the French territory. In addition, coupling data providing from RMBS with data from RMQSBiodiversity,allows deciphering links between biodiversity, physical-chemical characteristics of the soil and human activities (practices, heavy metal loading, and pesticide residues for instance).