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Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:
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Soil microbial ecology is defined by highly diverse, spatially structured communities that drive nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and overall ecosystem stability. Although a gram of soil can contain thousands of bacterial and archaeal taxa, the ecological processes they mediate are even more crucial for sustaining terrestrial life.Microhabitats and NichesSoil is a heterogeneous mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. Microbes inhabit distinct microhabitats formed by...
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Changes in the environment of the early Earth drove the evolution of organisms. As prokaryotic organisms in the oceans began to photosynthesize, they produced oxygen. Eventually, oxygen saturated the oceans and entered the air, resulting in an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, known as the oxygen revolution approximately 2.3 billion years ago. Therefore, organisms that could use oxygen for cellular respiration had an advantage. More than 1.5 years ago, eukaryotic cells and...
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Ecological succession is influenced by the processes of facilitation, inhibition, and toleration. Facilitation occurs when early successional species create more favorable ecological conditions for subsequent species, such as enhanced nutrient, water, or light availability. In contrast, inhibition happens when early successional species create unfavorable ecological conditions for potential successive species, such as limiting resource availability. In some cases, later successional species...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 20, 2026

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
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[Earlier steps of the soil ecosystem evolution].

A G Ponomarenko

    Zhurnal Obshchei Biologii
    |December 3, 2014
    PubMed
    Summary

    Fossil soils formed before plants, appearing as layered organic matter and clay. Soil formation significantly advanced with early animals and later, vascular plants.

    Area of Science:

    • * Paleontology
    • * Geochemistry
    • * Early Earth Science

    Background:

    • * Fossil soils predate terrestrial plants, originating in the early Precambrian.
    • * Primeval life consisted of prokaryotic mats and films, significant biomass producers.
    • * Early Earth conditions featured high erosion, muddy waters, and frequent floods impacting life.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • * To investigate the origins and early evolution of fossil soils.
    • * To understand the role of early life and geological processes in soil formation.
    • * To trace the transition from Precambrian to modern soil types.

    Main Methods:

    • * Analysis of Precambrian and Cambrian geological and fossil records.
    • * Interpretation of paleoenvironmental conditions and biological contributions.

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  • * Comparative study of early soil structures and modern soil development.

    • Main Results:

    • * Early soils were not uniform but "puff pies" of organic and clay layers due to frequent burial events.
    • * Burial of unoxidized organic matter significantly contributed to atmospheric oxygen enrichment.
    • * The advent of soil fauna (worms, arthropods) and later vascular plants fundamentally altered soil formation processes.

    Conclusions:

    • * Fossil soils evolved from simple layered structures to complex bodies influenced by biota and geology.
    • * The development of soils is intrinsically linked to the evolution of life and atmospheric composition.
    • * Modern soil types emerged after the Devonian expansion of higher plants, displacing earlier life forms.