Microorganisms - Soil Health Nexus

What are Microorganisms?

Photo Credit: Sara Wright

Microorganisms are groups of very small organisms for which the soil is the natural habitat, and which may include groups such as bacteria, fungi, protozoans, algae, and actinomycetes. The organisms play crucial roles in soil formation, soil structure, fertility, aeration, and drainage.

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Title	Source	Resource type and Date	Short Summary / Preview
Purdue Soil Health Education website	Purdue Soil Health Education Website	Video Sep 2017	Dr. John Graveel, Purdue Agronomy Department discusses microbiology activity within soils.
The ABCs of Soil Health	USDA	NRCS Slideshow not dated	Example: “M is for Microbes”, There are more MICROBES in one teaspoon of healthy soil than people on the Earth.
Understanding Soil Microbes and Nutrient Recycling	Ohio State University	Extension Webpage Sep 2010	The role of microbes in nutrient cycling and soil health.
Microbes Crucial to Long-Term Soil Health	Michigan State University	Research summary 2015	Summary of research on soil health and the role of microbes from the MSU Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program.
Soil Microorganisms	SARE	Extension Webpage 2012	Microorganisms are very small forms of life that can sometimes live as single cells, although many also form colonies of cells.
The Science of Soil Health: Changing the Way we Think about Soil Microbes	USDA NRCS	Video Feb 2014	Dr. Kristine Nichols, Soil Microbiologist, Agricultural Research Services, Mandan ND discusses soil microbes within the context of soil health – NRCS video.
The Science of Soil Health: Fighting Plant Disease with Microbes	USDA NRCS	Video Jul 2014	Video series entitled “Unlock the Science of Soil Health” The Science of Soil Health: Fighting Plant Disease with Microbes featuring Dr. Geoff Zehnder, Professor of Entomology, Coordinator of IPM and Sustainable Agriculture, Clemson University.
PLFA video protocol	JoVE from University of Wisconsin-Madison Researchers	Video 2017	This video protocol explains how phospholipid fatty acid analysis is done and how to interpret the data.

Title	Source	Resource type and date	Short Summary
Building Healthy Soils	University of Tennessee	Extension Fact Sheet Sep 2012	Many different types of organisms living in soils provide valuable services. Microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, support plant fertility by assisting with the release of minerals bound up in soil organic matter.

Title

Source

Resource type and date

Short Summary

Building Healthy Soils

University of Tennessee

Extension Fact Sheet

Sep 2012

Many different types of organisms living in soils provide valuable services. Microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, support plant fertility by assisting with the release of minerals bound up in soil organic matter.

Title	Source	Resource type and Date	Short Summary
The role of microarthropods in emerging models of soil organic matter	Soil Biology and Biochemistry	Peer-Reviewed Publication Nov 2016	Research paper summarizing how microarthropods affect soil organic matter dynamics.
Evaluation of methods to estimate the soil microbial biomass and the relationship with soil texture and organic matter	Soil Biology and Biochemistry	Peer-Reviewed Publication Jul 1992	Tested different methods to measure soil microbial biomass. Biomass and activity of the soil microflora were significantly related to clay, soil organic C and especially to total N content.
Soil health—a new challenge for microbiologists and chemists	International Microbiology	Peer-Reviewed Publication Jan 2005	One of the key objectives in determining soil health is to acquire indicators that can be used to evaluate the soil’s current status and hence to develop sustainable agricultural systems. In this regard, significant progress has been made over the last few years in the development of specific bio-markers and macromolecular probes, enabling rapid and reliable measurements of soil microbial communities.
Microorganisms:, Global Soil Biodiversity Atlas	ePublications Office of the European Union	Book May 2016	Soil biodiversity is crucial to soil health and microorganisms play a role in that biodiversity.
Importance of Soil Temperature for the Growth of Temperate Crops under a Tropical Climate and Functional Role of Soil Microbial Diversity	Microbes and Environments	Peer-Reviewed Publication Apr 2018	Soil temperature closely correlates with the growth of temperate crops, and affects plant processes and soil microbial diversity. The present study focuses on the effects of soil temperatures on lettuce growth and soil microbial diversity that maintains the growth of lettuce at low soil temperatures.
Microbial Biomass C, N	Michigan State University, LTER	Extension / Research Protocol Not Dated	Protocol to measure microbial biomass in the soil.
Equations for Soil Microbial Biovolume and Carbon Calculation	Michigan State University, LTER	Extension / Research Protocol Not Dated	The equations for calculation of soil microbial biovolume and carbon are specified.

This page reviewed by Liz Schultheis.

Last reviewed 10/24/19