Jacob asked how much life exists in a small amount of soil?
Jacob, it is interesting you asked this question. The other day, I was sitting on a step and watching ants and other creatures move about in the soil beneath my feet. The film, ‘Honey I Shrunk The Kids’ came to mind. A scientist accidentally shrinks his children to a quarter of an inch, and they are forced to battle the creatures in the tiny world below! I want to share some quick facts.
According to the USDA, depending where the soil is on Earth, there are more organisms in 1 tablespoon of soil than there are humans on Earth!
One tablespoon of soil contains 100 million to 1 billion bacteria consisting of 75,000 species. Many haven’t been discovered yet!
A tablespoon of soil can have 25,000 kinds of fungus.
The same tablespoon of soil can also contain 1000 species of protozoa which are single cell creatures living on organic material in the soil.
The same soil could also contain several hundred species of nematodes which are worm like creatures. Nematodes are one of the most abundant creatures on the planet.
There are numerous earthworms, ants, mites, and a host of numerous kinds of insects in the soil.
Some scientists believe only 1% of all organisms living in the soil have been identified! So, as we walk around in the world around us, there is a tiny universe of life teaming beneath our feet!
Image by Irina
