[Urban soils and microbial biodiversity]

Aware of the degradation of their environment, cities engage in a transition towards sustainable development models. They are based on the search for solutions promoting the "return of nature to the city", which is acclaimed by citizen wishing to improve their living environment. As a support of this nature, there is a knowledge issue regard soil to define management practices and design methods to optimize its functioning. Among this knowledge, that relating to the ecology and microbial diversity of the soil is essential since microorganisms are responsible for many of the services essential to the sustainability of urban systems. This article provides a brief overview of knowledge on the microbial diversity of urban soils and the tools available to assess it. It also presents examples of ongoing projects to study soil biodiversity in major French cities.