Читать книгу Laboratory Methods for Soil Health Analysis, Volume 2 - Группа авторов - Страница 46

The biological benefits of SOC primarily relate to nutrient cycling by soil microorganisms for carbon and energy. Soil microorganisms convert complex plant and animal materials into simpler compounds. The primary SOM decomposers (i.e., consumers) include bacteria, fungi, earthworms, insects, protozoa, and nematodes. All are influenced by soil microbial diversity, which is affected by SOC and the associated land management decisions. For example, no‐till results in SOC being concentrated in the topsoil surface (Doran, 1980; Lynch and Panting, 1980; Carter and Rennie, 1982; Balesdent et al., 2000). The combination of higher SOC and greater biological activity results in greater organism diversity, and potentially to greater biological control of plant diseases and pests.