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Soil Fauna (or zoo)
- Macrofauna: Mice, moles, etc.; Earthworms
and other worms; Ants, beetles, termites, spiders
- Mesofauna: Nemaodes, arthropods (mites, centipedes,
and springtails), molluscs
- Microfauna: Protozoa
Soil Macrofauna: Earthworms
- Important in mixing and redistributing OM
- Enhances soil physical properties
- Neutralize soil pH
- Increase the availability of many nutrients
- Stimulate microbial populations
- May reduce levels of harmful nematodes
 Soil Mesofauna: Nematodes
- Microscopic non-segmented roundworms
- Ecologically diverse
- Found in all habitats
- Overall, 10-20 million/m-sq are found
- Major consumer group
- Both free-living and parasitic groups exist (predatory
nematode pictured)
 Soil Microfauna: Protozoa
- Important in mineralization and immobilization
of N, P, and S
- Most numerous soil fauna
- Prey on microbes (especially bacteria)
- Enhance nitrification rates
- Suppress bacterial and fungal pathogens
- Can be agents of plant disease
To see some of the organisms in your soil
Make a pitfall trap to catch large arthropods by sinking a pint- or quart-sized
container (such as a yogurt cup) into the ground so the
rim is level with the soil surface. If desired, fashion
a roof over the cup to
keep the rain out, and add 1/2 of an inch of non-hazardous
antifreeze to the cup to preserve the creatures and prevent
them from eating
one another. Leave in place for a week and wait for soil
organisms to fall into the trap.
To make a Burlese funnel to catch small arthropods,
set a piece of 1/4 inch rigid wire screen in the bottom of a funnel
to support the soil. (A funnel can be made by cutting
the bottom off a plastic
soda bottle.) Half fill the funnel with soil, and suspend
it over a cup with a bit of anti-freeze or ethyl alcohol
in the bottom as
a preservative.
Next page: The soil flora (or
garden)
Updated
July 15, 2004
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