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Soil ecology is the study of the interactions among soil organisms, and between biotic and abiotic aspects of the soil environment. [1] It is particularly concerned with the cycling of nutrients , formation and stabilization of the pore structure , the spread and vitality of pathogens , and the biodiversity of this rich biological community .
The physical properties of soil, in order of decreasing importance for ecosystem services such as crop production, are texture, structure, bulk density, porosity, consistency, temperature, colour and resistivity. [ 1] Soil texture is determined by the relative proportion of the three kinds of soil mineral particles, called soil separates: sand ...
v. t. e. Ecology (from Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos) 'house' and -λογία ( -logía) 'study of') [A] is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels.
e. An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system that environments and their organisms form through their interaction. [ 2]: 458 The biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Ecosystems are controlled by external and internal factors. External factors such as climate, parent material which ...
Biodiversity and soil are strongly linked, because soil is the medium for a large variety of organisms, and interacts closely with the wider biosphere. Conversely, biological activity is a primary factor in the physical and chemical formation of soils. [ 2] Soil provides a vital habitat, primarily for microbes (including bacteria and fungi ...
Environmental gradient. An environmental gradient, or climate gradient, is a change in abiotic (non-living) factors through space (or time). Environmental gradients can be related to factors such as altitude, depth, temperature, soil humidity and precipitation. Often times, a multitude of biotic (living) factors are closely related to these ...
Ecosystem diversity deals with the variations in ecosystems within a geographical location and its overall impact on human existence and the environment . Ecosystem diversity addresses the combined characteristics of biotic properties ( biodiversity) and abiotic properties ( geodiversity ). It is a variation in the ecosystems found in a region ...
Soil biology is the study of microbial and faunal activity and ecology in soil. Soil life , soil biota , soil fauna , or edaphon is a collective term that encompasses all organisms that spend a significant portion of their life cycle within a soil profile, or at the soil- litter interface.