Life for the Loam: A Soil Ecology Game about Biodiversity & Ecosystem Health

Abstract

Soils contain a vast biodiversity of organisms with critical roles in maintaining ecosystem health, which remains unknown to many students. Soils are also a system well-suited to introduce broader ecological concepts such as ecosystem services and the links between biodiversity and ecosystem function. In the game Life for the Loam, designed for students in grades 6-12 and early undergraduate audiences, students strive to build the healthiest soil by introducing creature cards to boost their soil's structure, nutrients, and food web. Gameplay introduces students to a wide array of soil organisms, and the ecosystem services each provides, and lets them build diverse communities for maximum environmental benefit.