Study of soil–vegetation relationships on the Butte Montceau in Fontainebleau, France: Pedagogical exercise and training report

•Report of pedagogical training about soil-vegetation relationships.•Five day training at Master level about soil ecology.•Description of an ecological transect in Fontainebleau forest (Paris region). This article illustrates a short training course for students at the Master's level, which explores relationships between plants and soil. It takes place in the Forest of Fontainebleau (France), where a reception centre with a large room (30m2) is located containing a Berlese equipment, and many microscopes. On the first day, students are accompanied by their professors in the field and visit the four sites which are located along an ecological transect. Vegetation and soils at each site are presented to them by specialists. In the laboratory, indications are written on a black board, explaining how to use relatively simple tools for biological investigations (microscopes, GPS, Berlese funnel, photometer, flora and fauna guides…). Students are then divided into 4 groups of 4–6 students. Each group is assigned a site which is then described and analysed. At the end, each group produces a written report. Are the measured parameters interrelated within each site? Are there functioning principles that may distinguish the four stations? Three professors are always present and accompany the students in the field or in the laboratory so as to provide help when necessary. After a brief moment of uncertainty, students are able to quickly organise themselves and after three days identify the essential elements of these ecosystems. They also learn how a real biologist observes a forest ecosystem. They discover that plants, soil and animals are interconnected and form a natural functioning system. Students thus learn that nonetheless, it is difficult to have clearly identified boundaries between the investigated forest stations, because the gradient between them is gradual and ecologically indefinite.