Soils are Alive
PART 1: What is in soil and what does it do?
- Introduction
- 1.1 Introduction to soil fertility
- 1.2 Biodiversity and biomass of organisms in soil
- 1.3 Soil is a habitat for living organisms
- 1.4 Activities of soil biota
PART 2: How do soil organisms affect soil?
- Introduction
- 2.1 Chemical transformations mediated by soil organisms
- 2.2 Physical transformations mediated by soil organisms
PART 3: How do soil organisms affect plants?
- Introduction
- 3.1 Plant roots and soil biota
- 3.2 Mycorrhizal associations
- 3.3 Nitrogen-fixing associations
- 3.4 Soil-borne plant pathogens
PART 4: What affects soil organisms?
- Introduction
- 4.1 Types of soil disturbance
- 4.2 Effects of soil disturbance on organisms
- 4.3 Effects of soil disturbance on biological processes
PART 5: How do soil organisms interact with each other?
PART 6: What are the options for managing soil organisms?
- Introduction
- 6.1 Indirect ‘manipulation’ of soil organisms through land management practices
- 6.2 Direct microbial manipulation
PART 7: How is knowledge of soil organisms relevant to sustainable land management?
- Introduction
- 7.1 Microbial indicators of the biological state of soil
- 7.2 A role for the scientist
- 7.3 Economic implications of considering soil biology in decision-making for sustainable land management
- 7.4 Guidelines for land management to sustain soil biological fertility
