ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we look at the interactions of organisms in the soil, with a view towards how these functions can be used to replace petroleum based subsidies in farm, plantation, and grazing systems. The functional mechanisms that contribute to sustainability in natural systems, are often not immediately obvious. Sometimes, it is difficult to determine if interactions are taking place — and if they are, how they benefit productivity and sustainability. It is especially difficult to analyze interactions in the soil, since taking measurements often disrupts or destroys soil structure. Through laboratory analysis, microbiologists have succeeded in uncovering some of the negative interactions between species in the soil, such as the production of antibiotics by fungi. However, positive interactions that benefit the sustainability of ecosystems often become obvious only when they are studied in the context of an entire ecosystem.
