Each and every living organism on earth has a dwelling place and hates to be destructed or rendered homeless just like human beings. In the soil, there are living organisms who live, grow, reproduce and perform other significant functions in the soil which collectively contribute to the growth and development of the soil. Just like any other factor like floods which can render man homeless, there are some things we do that destroy the habitat of these useful organisms in the soil. Research estimates that every square meter of fertile soil has about 1,000,000,000 organisms living in the soil.
Soil Organisms in the soil
There are a wide variety of organisms living in the soil who in one way or the other contribute to the fertility rate of the soil. Some organisms living in the soil are bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, archaea, algae and protozoa. Also, the soil serves as a habitat for springtails mites, earthworms, nematodes, ants, insects and larger organisms like burrowing rodents.
Significance of Soil Organisms in the soil
Undoubtedly, living organisms in the soil play a pivotal role in determining the fertility, growth and health of crops. Every farmer knows how productive it is for the soil to harbor rich and fertile organisms necessary for plant growth.
Soil organisms help in maintaining healthy soils. Due to the ability of soil organisms like earthworms contributing to intense burrowing activities, the soil is maintained in a healthy manner. As the earthworms’ burrow into the soil, they supply the needed oxygen to the plants roots and nourish the plants. Through this activity, there is an increased water infiltration in the soil and moisture in the soil. Also, this activity helps to minimize soil erosion by increasing the stability of the soil.
Moving on, soil organisms help in recycling nutrients from dead leaves. The recycling is done by soil organisms breaking up the complex substances in decaying animals and plants which can be later used by the plants again. Research findings on soil organisms have indicated that springtails and microorganisms, especially, helps in this aspect and can reach densities of 10-100,000 individuals per m². After they finish eating, they excrete many small fecal pellets which comprises of very tiny pieces of dead leaves mixed with water. It is however important to note that the process of nutrient recycling performed by these microorganisms are very important for ecosystems and the general growth of crops. Some of the valuable elements recycled during this process are carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen.
Soil organisms also help in regulating populations of other soil organisms. They assist in mineralizing nutrients into plant-available forms and adequately serve as a source of food for other soil organisms and consume disease-causing organisms.
In conclusion, soil organisms are very important thus human activities should be tailored in such a way that it doesn’t disturb and destruct the existence of organisms in the soil.
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