THE SOIL FOOD WEB: THE LIFE BENEATH OUR FEET
As we tread upon our soil, plant into it and harvest from it, it’s hard to imagine the myriad of creatures that live within it. Teeming with life, the sheer number and diversity of creatures in our soil is mind-boggling, and these creatures are crucial to the health and vitality of our soil. This interdependent circle of life is known as the soil food web.
The soil food web is the living component of our soil, a living ecosystem which is closely linked to the health of the plants that grow in the soil. If the soil biology is healthy, the plants we grow and eat will be healthy, and if the plants are healthy, then we humans can be healthy. We are more connected to and reliant on our soil than we think.
WHO MAKES UP THE SOIL FOOD WEB?
The soil food web is made up of a range of beneficial organisms including:
Bacteria
A teaspoon of productive soil generally contains between 100 million and 1 billion bacteria. Bacteria convert energy in soil organic matter into food for other
