Springtails are among the most numerous animals on Earth, playing essential roles in soil health. Their welfare is rarely considered despite their ecological importance and potential capacity for basic sensation.
Springtails inhabit the soil layer most vulnerable to human disturbance. Ploughing, compaction, and pesticide application cause mass mortality events. Their use of the furcula to escape suggests some capacity for aversive experience. As essential decomposers, harm to springtails cascades through soil food webs affecting earthworms, beetles, and ultimately plant productivity. No-till farming dramatically increases springtail survival and soil health simultaneously.