on riie inieiaeiions berween lire bniad ionsiionai ymups
oi organisms, or a slzhfand eominuniry i-ieie, be
iarnenrs, "we knuw so lurle aboui so mueii

large animals iearibwoi-rns io wombaisl ean ereaie
mayor enanges in soils locally, by burrowing, soil
rurnover, iaeeai piodueiion irom Vegelihan, wasie
produeis. and even alieraiions lo ioiesi sueeessrons
ailer iire in general, ginss disiurbanres by rolonies oi
larger iauna as in desens iwlrere iodeni biomass ean
reaeli moo-lama kg/hi) siriii lire balanee iiom soil
lung. in baeieiia

We can irrinlr oi lire soil bioia as a reserye oi oiner-
rnise easily leaened nuinoiiis lniiiogen, sulpruiii, ooiii
oi wiiieii elemeurs iney gariiei. sioie, or (omenlmie
T r ryeie oi liie and deaiii. wiiirii in mm depends on
soil iemperaiure and season, u‘lcases small or large
amounis oi iliese esseniial elemenis ai rnuliiple
mreiosiies 1ermries. in addiiion, may sioir eaieium
irom subsoils in riieir monnds. and barieria sroie a
number oi soil minerals, These are iieid in iire mobile
living resents oi iiie soil bioia, and are released by
ineir dearln ior sioa upiaiie by planr rooi associaies
Many planr iorrns direeily eai baeieda ialgae in warer,
iungii or inseeis and nemaiodes, so iiiai planis are
earner direei piadaiois oi irie soil iauni, or seayengers
oi "14 bodies oi no soil organisms

A useiul elassiiiearion oi soil bioia based on size is as
ioilowsi New sererrirsi, boo 'az

. MICROFLORA and Mlckonum; size range
I—IW miliimieions, e g. baeieria, iungi, aemaiodes.
pioiosoa, roiiieis

. MESOFAUNA sieeiange loll mllllmimnklmm,
e.g miles, springlaiis, small myriapods. onenyiiaeid
worms, iaise srorpions, ienniies,

. MACROFAUNA- siee range Ho mm, e g
woodeiiee. iraiirssirnan, ampiiipods, eeniipedes,
millipedes. eariirwoiins, beeiles, spiders. slugs. snails.
anis, large rnynapods

- MEGAFAUNA sise range zu min upwards. e, g
mrkeis, moles. iodenis, wombais. rabbiis. ere

in ierrns oi sneer numbers per squire meiee,
ireinaiodes iizii millionl, miles “00,000), spnngraiis
145.com, eueiiyiraeid woi-ms izuoiiiil, and molluses
liaimm grearly our—number any oiiier species in
remperare grasslands Fungi, iioweyei. may be 597a oi
iiie roial liiiiog biomass

wniie iiie iiadiiion oi soil science has been re near
and analyse soils as mineral rnairei iiire iiying
eomponenr belngtirbcmsed or burni oil in analyses as
~c~ oi numus eonienri, lire pieoeeuparion oi sound
iarrners, biodynamie groups, mnkh gardeners, and
“no—d g ' cioppers iias been me nuanriiy arid ouaiiiy oi
soil liie. born as indiralois oi soil liealiir and as oeiaiors
and eondiiioaers oi soil Anoiiier iaeior wnieii deserves
more irearmeni in seienee is rbe mass, dis urion,
migraiion, and iiineiion oi mois and roor assneiaies,
and rise role oi burrowers inoi only unliwar‘ms, our
larger mammals, repiiles. and a boar oi inseeisl

Tire so i noi sierilised, overwmked, or sprayed
inio liielessriessl is a (umpllx oi mineral and aciiye

 

 

 

 

 

biologieal maierials in proeess. No soil seieniisi myseii,
l rely on soil live and lie irealiir oi planrs io indieare
problems Diseases and psi inupoons ran be rbe way
we are alaried io sueii problems as nvtrsgnlmg,
erosion, and mineral deiieieney. Remoying iiie esi
rnay noi sure riie underlying problem oi suseeprioiiuy
Ceriainly, sriong planrs resisi mosi normal levels oi
inseerariaek.

Soil analysis, irielpiui iiiougir ii is, an neip us very
lurie wiiii soil processes Unlll yery reeeni years. we
iraye underesiimared rile eoniiibunon oi nirrogen by
legumes or soil mieroiauiia in adduion. iiie measures
oi soil (albon nas rarely been reiared ro mo soil bioia.
whose iiyes and lulldwns are noi iully known. ii
seems Cunaus ilrar we know so murii aboui siieep, so
liiile abour inose animals wiiieri ouiweigii mm per
neoare by laciois oi ien or a hundred rims. and riiai
we do noi inyesrigaie rhese rnaiiers iae more seriously.
Our mosi susrainable yields may be grubs or
eaieipiiiars iarber iban sireep, we ean eonyeri inese
inyeriebrares ro use by ieeding iaem io pouliry or iisii
We ain‘t go wrong in mouragsng a eomplex oi liie in
soils, iiom ioois and mycorrhln lo moles and
unhworms, and m ininiung oi ways in wiiieii soil liie
assisisus io produce erop, ii uselibeeoruesa rrop,

 

EAR’I‘HWORMS
Worms hav: played a more impnnanr pan in
me i-ilaiory oi me world iiian mosi persons
would ar ilrsi suppose iu almosi all iiumid
eouniries riiey are exiiaordiriariiy numerous.
and lor loeir sire possess greni muscular
power in many pans or England a wewu oi
more uian ren Ions Home by oi dry eaeil-i
annually passes lhmugh riieir bodies and is
brought io nie euiiaee on each aere oi land: so
ii-iar riie whole superficial bed oi vegeiable
mould passes lhrough inelr bodies iii rrie
course oreiieiy rein years... virus are panieles
oi eann. rormirig lire supeeneiai mould. are
subieored ro ooridliione enunerrily iayounbie
ioe meir demmposlrion ai-rd dislnleyalmn..
-nre plnugh is one oi uie rnoar arioieni and
moss valuable oi mn‘s invenrlons, bur long
beiore ire eidaied nie land was in iaor regulariy
piougned, and siiil eoniinuea la be iiius
ploughed by earuiwuru-is ir may be doubled
wiieriier mere are many ouier animals wiiieii
have played so lmparlalll a pan in me liisiory
oi rne world. as have riieee luwly organised
ereaiuies.
icbailes Darwin, rbr rniirraiiun oi Vtxcllble
Mould Through uremia" oi Worms, lsalr

me ibe iiiue oi Darwin land probably long beiornl,
(uplous worm liie in soils has been raken as a irealilry
sign, and indeed more modern ieyiews iiaye noi
reversed iliis beliei lSaicbeli, I934). Wonns rapidly and
eiiiereiirly reeyele riianuie and leaves io ibe soil, iieep

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