ABSTRACT
Soil is a complex, living, changing, and dynamic component of the agroecosystem. It is subject to alteration, and can either be degraded or wisely managed. In much of present-day agriculture, with the availability of an array of mechanical and chemical technologies for rapid soil modication, soil is all too often viewed primarily as a growth medium, something from which to extract a harvest. Farmers often take the soil for granted, and pay little attention to the complex ecological processes that take place below the surface. The premise of this chapter, in contrast, is that a thorough understanding of the ecology of the soil system is a key part of comprehending the soil as an environmental factor affecting crop plants, and therefore in designing and managing sustainable agroecosystems.
