SOIL ORGANISMS AND THIR ACTIVITIES IN SOIL

Introduction of soil organism

Soil organisms are responsible, to a varying degree depending on the system, for performing
vital functions in the soil. Soil organisms make up the diversity of life in the soil (Figure :1.1).
This soil biodiversity is an important but poorly understood component of terrestrial
ecosystems. Soil biodiversity is comprised of the organisms that spend all or a portion of their
life cycles within the soil or on its immediate surface (including surface litter and decaying logs)
(Table 1.1)
Soil organisms represent a large fraction of global terrestrial biodiversity. They carry out a range
of processes important for soil health and fertility in soils of both natural ecosystems and
agricultural systems. This annex provides brief descriptions of organisms that are commonly
found in the soil and their main biological and ecological attributes.
The community of organisms living all or part of their lives in the soil constitute the soil food
web. The activities of soil organisms interact in a complex food web with some subsisting on
living plants and animals (herbivores and predators), others on dead plant debris (detritivores),
on fungi or on bacteria, and others living off but not consuming their hosts (parasites). Plants,
mosses and some algae are autotrophs, they play the role of primary producers by using solar
energy, water and carbon (C) from atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2) to make organic
compounds and living tissues. Other autotrophs obtain energy from the breakdown of soil
minerals, through the oxidation of nitrogen (N), sulphur (S), iron (Fe) and C from carbonate
minerals. Soil fauna and most fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes are heterotrophs, they rely on
organic materials either directly (primary consumers) or through intermediaries (secondary or
tertiary consumers) for C and energy needs.
A food-web diagram shows a series of conversions (represented by arrows) of energy and
nutrients as one organism eats another. The “structure” of a food web is the composition and
relative numbers of organisms in each group within the soil. The living component of soil, the
food web, is complex and has different compositions in different ecosystems. In a healthy soil,
there are a large number of bacteria and bacterialfeeding organisms. Where the soil has
received heavy treatments of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, soil fungicides or fumigants that
kill these organisms, the beneficial soil organisms may die (impeding the performance of their
activities), or the balance between the pathogens and beneficial organisms may be upset,
allowing those called opportunists (disease-causing organisms) to become problems.
 FIG 1.1 : The soil environment

TABLE:1.1 A1.1
Categories and characteristics of soil organisms

Category Characteristics Organisms

Permanent Whole life cycle in the soil Mites, collembola,

earthworms
Temporal Part of life cycle in the soil Insect larvae
Periodical Frequently enter into the soil Some insect larvae
Transitory An inactive phase in the soil (e.g. eggs, pupae, Some insects
hibernation) 
but the active period not in the soil

Organisms fall down or they are drawn along Insect larvae

Accidental
The activities of soil organism
 Releasing nutrients from organic matter
Soil microorganisms are responsible for most of the nutrient release from organic matter. When
microorganisms decompose organic matter, they use the carbon and nutrients in the organic matter
for their own growth. They release excess nutrients into the soil where they can be taken up by
plants. If the organic matter has a low nutrient content, micro-organisms will take nutrients from the
soil to meet their requirements.
For example, applying organic matter with carbon to nitrogen ratios lower than 22:1 to soil generally
increases mineral nitrogen in soil. In contrast, applying organic matter with carbon to nitrogen ratios
higher than 22:1, generally results in microorganisms taking up mineral nitrogen from soil (Hoyle et
al. 2011).

Increasing phosphorus availability

Most agricultural plants (except lupins and canola) form a symbiosis with arbuscular
mycorrhizal (AM) fungi that can increase phosphorus uptake by the plant. The hyphal strands
of AM fungi extend from plant roots into soil and have access to phosphorus that plant roots
cannot reach. The AM fungi can provide phosphorus to plants and in return they receive the
carbon they need to grow. 
Importantly, this symbiosis is only beneficial for plants when available phosphorus in soil is
insufficient for the plant’s requirements. Increasing phosphorus availability may be especially
beneficial on phosphorus fixing soils in Australia, which are widespread and can store 100
kilograms of phosphorus per hectare (Cornish 2009).

Degrading pesticides
The degradation of agricultural pesticides in soil is primarily performed by microorganisms.
Some microorganisms in soil produce enzymes that can break down agricultural pesticides or
other toxic substances added to soil. The length of time these substances remain in soil is
related to how easily they are degraded by microbial enzymes.
 

Controlling pathogens
Some microorganisms and soil animals infect plants and decrease plant yield. However many
organisms in the soil control the spread of pathogens. For example, the occurrence of some
pathogenic fungi in soil is decreased by certain protozoa that consume the pathogenic fungi.
The soil food web contains many relationships like this that decrease the abundance of plant
pathogens.
 

Improving soil structure

Biological processes in soil can improve soil structure. Some bacteria and fungi produce
substances during organic matter decomposition that chemically and physically bind soil
particles into micro-aggregates. The hyphal strands of fungi can cross-link soil particles helping
to form and maintain aggregates (figure 3). A single gram of soil can contain several kilometres
of fungal hyphae (Young and Crawford 2007). In addition, soil animals increase pores by
tunnelling through soil and increase aggregation by ingesting soil.

Managing soil biological fertility

We currently understand less about how management practices affect soil biological fertility
than how they affect soil chemical and physical fertility. However, the management practices
described below may help improve and maintain the biological fertility of soil.
1. Minimise erosion as soil organisms are predominantly located in the surface layers,
which are most easily eroded.
2. Maintain or increase the organic matter content of soil as organic matter is an important
source of carbon, energy and nutrients for soil organisms.
3. Use diverse rotations as they result in diverse inputs of organic matter and a diverse
population of soil organisms.
4. Select nitrogen fixing bacteria that match the host plant and can tolerate your soil
characteristics (e.g. pH) as nitrogen fixing bacteria form specific associations with
legumes.
5. Consider the release of nutrients from organic matter when determining fertiliser
applications.
6. Use fertiliser inputs that complement the activities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as
they only increase plant uptake of phosphorus in phosphorus-deficient soils.
7. Choose crop rotations and management practices that decrease the suitability of soil for
plant pathogens.
8. Be patient as soil biological processes take time to develop.

Refference
Bouché, M.B. 1977. Stratégies lombriciennes. Ecol. Bull., 25: 122-132.
Brown, G.G., Pashanasi, B., Gilot-Villenave, C., Patrón, J.C., Senapati, B.K., Giri, S., Barois,
I.Lavelle, P., Blanchart. E., Blakemore, R.J., Spain, A.V. & Boyer, J. 1999. Effects of earthworms
on plant production. In P. Lavelle, L. Brussaard & P.F. Hendrix, eds. Earthworm management in
tropical agroecosystems, pp. 87-147. Wallingford, UK, CAB International.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0100e/a0100e0d.htm
Cornish PS (2009) Phosphorus management on extensive organic and low-input farms. Crop &
Pasture Science 60: 105 – 115.
http://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/soil-biological-fertility