ABSTRACT
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This chapter reviews the key functions of soil biota and their roles in maintaining
soil fertility. We consider the soil as a habitat for organisms, identifying important
sources of energy and nutrients for the soil biota and describing the flow of energy and
cycling of materials from above to below ground. A more detailed discussion of energy
flows follows in the next chapter. The trophic structure of the soil community, i.e.,
the organized flow of nutrients within it, and the various interactions among organisms
comprising the soil food web are considered here. Linkages between above-and below
ground processes are highlighted to illustrate their interconnectedness and to show
a wide variety of organisms
collectively perform essential ecosystem services.
