Soil - it’s alive!
Did You Know? Soil is a living ecosystem that goes through succession like every other ecosystem!
Soil is a living ecosystem and goes through succession like every other ecosystem. Dirt, on the other hand (ha!), is the smear on your hands and clothes that comes when you disturb or displace living soil. Dirt is to soil what a fallen branch is to a forest - a piece of something much more dynamic.
Soil is arguably the most important kind of terrestrial ecosystem. Fungi and other single-celled organisms actively process nutrients that plants use for their own fuel. Healthy soils yield plant communities with greater biomass (including flowers, fruits, and roots – hungry anyone?) as well as communities that are more resilient to extreme weather, pests, and diseases. So why do we leave soil out of our typical review of habitats and ecosystems when we are teaching children? Out of sight out of mind?
Similarly to what we see aboveground, the early stages of soil succession are characterized by organisms that reproduce and spread rapidly. Typically, bacteria are most abundant. However the diversity of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or larger multi-cellular organisms is low. The relatively “simple” composition of the belowground community provides some but limited benefits to plant communities. Overtime, often in tandem with the progression of the aboveground ecosystem, the soil structure changes and new species colonize and proliferate. This creates diversity and resilience at multiple scales. Every time the soil is deeply disturbed, the system is sent backwards to early successional stages.
Educators, make it real! Compare the composition of the soil in areas that are differently managed. For example, dig a few inches into the ground of a regularly mown lawn area, a few inches into a garden bed, and a few inches into an infrequently mown meadow or forest. Bring back some samples and sort through them, separating rocks, organic litter (like sticks, bark, leaves), fungi (hyphae will usually look like white netting or string), and living animals. Whether or not you can compare microscopic organisms in your samples, the macroscopic animals that you can see will be indicative of the presence and diversity of microscopic creatures.
Engage: Our educator workshops are about helping you get comfortable teaching in the outdoors and correlating lessons in interdisciplinary ways. We also offer ongoing support in terms of coaching or curricular review. Let us know if you’d like some assistance!