ABSTRACT
References..............................................................................................................141
Amidst a network of tunnels and pores, soil organisms recycle carbon and nutrients. They mix plant litter and detritus, causing changes in soil structure that can ultimately influence the amount of water and oxygen available for plant roots. They are also eaten by aboveground predators, providing direct connections between below-and aboveground food webs. Root herbivory is very difficult to quantify, but likely just as important as leaf herbivory. As we gain an appreciation for the importance of mycorrhizal fungi, an appreciation of organisms that graze on these fungi seems to follow.
