Article
Article
Soil ecology
Article By:
Coleman, David C. Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
Last reviewed:January 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.631825
Show previous versions
- Soil ecology, published June 2014:Download PDF
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
The study of the interactions among soil organisms, and between biotic and abiotic aspects of the soil environment. Soil (Fig. 1) is made up of a multitude of physical, chemical, and biological entities, with many interactions occurring among them. Soil is a variable mixture of broken and weathered minerals and decaying organic matter. Together with the proper amounts of air and water, soil supplies, in part, sustenance for plants as well as mechanical support. Overall, soil ecology is concerned with how the organisms found in soil interact with other organisms and their environment. See also: Ecological communities; Ecology; Forest soil; Soil
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
