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A glimpse below… The soil food web Teri C. Balser, Assistant Professor, UW-Madison tcbalser@wisc

A glimpse below… The soil food web Teri C. Balser, Assistant Professor, UW-Madison tcbalser@wisc.edu. What is soil biology? What role does it play in soil quality?. Soil organisms are involved in nearly every aspect of soil quality. Structure/Aggregation. Organic matter. Humification.

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A glimpse below… The soil food web Teri C. Balser, Assistant Professor, UW-Madison tcbalser@wisc

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  1. A glimpse below… The soil food web Teri C. Balser, Assistant Professor, UW-Madison tcbalser@wisc.edu

  2. What is soil biology? What role does it play in soil quality?

  3. Soil organisms are involved in nearly every aspect of soil quality Structure/Aggregation Organic matter Humification Soil Community Nitrate Leaching Decomposition Nutrient cycling

  4. In order to understand how biology affects our soils - we need to understand a little about the organisms who live there

  5. Soil is a habitat Soil particles Plant roots Water

  6. Soil is alive… For example, in 1g of soil: >100,000,000 bacterial cells >11,000 species of bacteria Also fungi and larger animals

  7. Who’s there? Macrofauna: Soil ‘Engineers’

  8. Pseudoscorpion Centipede Termite Earthworm Snail Vole Soil Animals

  9. Soil animals are important for Decomposition (shredding residues) Mixing soil (aeration) Decomposition rate of blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

  10. Who’s there? Mesofauna: Soil predators, pathogens, herbivores

  11. Soil mesofauna Nematodes Mites Protozoa

  12. Soil mesofauna Nematodes • Soil mesofauna are important for • Residue decomposition • Predation • Pathogenesis Mites Protozoa

  13. Microorganisms: Soil process controllers

  14. Soil microorganisms Fungi Bacteria Fungi

  15. Fungi • Filamentous growth What are the advantages of filamentous habit?

  16. Fungi • Filamentous growth • Functionally critical! • -Wood degrading • -Mycorrhizal association • myco (fungus) + • rhiza (root) • (Symbiotic structure • formed by a fungus • plus a plant)

  17. Roots without mycorrhizae Source: Harrison et al 1999

  18. Roots with mycorrhizae Source: Harrison et al 1999

  19. Bacteria • Small, single celled • ~2µm What is the importance of small size?

  20. Bacteria • Small, single celled • Abundant Conventional tillage Prairie Bacteria No-till Fungi Forest

  21. Bacteria • Small, single celled • Abundant • Diverse - • taxonomically and functionally!

  22. Diversity in soil is important for nitrogen cycling.

  23. Relationship to soil quality?

  24. Diversity may be important in response to management

  25. THANK YOU! Ecosystem Microbiology Laboratory, UW-Madison (www.ecosystem-microbiology.wisc.edu) Teri C. Balser tcbalser@wisc.edu USDA-CREES, NSF, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, NASA Lab members: Jessica Mentzer, Jenny Kao, Liang Chao, Nicole Craig, Lindsey Moritz, Meredith Schuman, Dr. David Bart, Dr. Daouda Ndaiye, Dr. Harry Read

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