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The Soil Ecosystem

The Soil Ecosystem

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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Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Soil Lysimeter Excavation for Coupled Hydrological, Geochemical, and Microbiological Investigations

Soil Lysimeter Excavation for Coupled Hydrological, Geochemical, and Microbiological Investigations

Published on: September 11, 2016

A framework for modelling soil structure dynamics induced by biological activity.

Katharina Meurer¹, Jennie Barron¹, Claire Chenu²

¹Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

Global Change Biology

|July 22, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Biological processes like root growth and soil fauna activity are crucial for restoring soil structure, a key factor in combating global soil degradation. Understanding these dynamics aids in developing long-term soil management strategies.

Keywords:

biological processes degradation dynamics modelling soil structure

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Last Updated: Dec 14, 2025

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Visualization of Failure and the Associated Grain-Scale Mechanical Behavior of Granular Soils under Shear using Synchrotron X-Ray Micro-Tomography

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Use of Principal Components for Scaling Up Topographic Models to Map Soil Redistribution and Soil Organic Carbon

Use of Principal Components for Scaling Up Topographic Models to Map Soil Redistribution and Soil Organic Carbon

Published on: October 16, 2018

Area of Science:

Soil Science
Ecology
Agronomy

Background:

Soil degradation is a significant global issue driven by human activities and climate change.
Deterioration of soil structure underlies nutrient depletion, erosion, and compaction, impacting agricultural productivity.
Current soil-crop models lack the capacity to simulate soil structure dynamics over decadal to centennial timescales.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of biological processes on soil structure dynamics.
To develop a novel modeling framework for soil structure dynamics compatible with long-term soil-crop models.
To assess the role of root growth and earthworm activity in restoring compacted soils.

Main Methods:

Reviewing current understanding of biological agents' impact on soil structure.
Developing a new modeling framework for soil structure dynamics at decadal to centennial scales.
Illustrating the model with a case study on root growth and earthworm bioturbation in compacted soil.

Main Results:

Biological processes, particularly root growth and soil fauna activity, significantly influence soil structure.
A new modeling framework was developed to simulate soil structure dynamics over long temporal scales.
The case study demonstrated the potential of root growth and earthworm bioturbation in restoring compacted soil structure.

Conclusions:

Biological factors are critical for maintaining and restoring soil structure.
The developed modeling framework can enhance soil-crop models for long-term predictions.
Effective soil management strategies must integrate biological processes for sustainable land use.