THE LIVING SOIL ECOSYSTEM of THIS PARK
Here are actual pictures taken from the soil beneath this sign.
Right under your feet are trillions and trillion of living organisms.
These organisms maintain all living and non living systems on planet earth.
These same organisms also live in your body and keep you alive.
Without them there would be no grass, no trees and no you.!
Long Fungal Hypha
A Bacterial Colony making a soil micro aggregate
FUNGI-
The mycelium of fungi appear as long branch like objects, some with segments like bamboo. Mycorrhizal fungi actually enter inside the plant roots. Then their external branches break down minerals in the surrounding crude sand, silt, and clay particles, and deliver them to the plants in the form of plant soluble nutrients and vitamins. In exchange, the plants feed the fungi sugars. When both organisms benefit like this, it is called Symbiosis. In healthy forrest soil there are 16,000 miles of these fungal hyphae in once cubic yard of soil!
BACTERIA-
There are trillions of bacteria in a handful of soil. Healthy soil bacteria are mostly aerobic and beneficial. Most bacteria appear at 400 x magnification as tiny dots and rods. The small, smooth objects are bacteria and the jagged ones clay or sand particles
Soil bacteria make powerful glues which they use to make their own houses out of mineral particles. This is what keeps healthy soil from becoming dust. The large dark triangle shape you see here is a colony of bacteria. They have glued together many pieces of mineral and plant material in order to make themselves a house.
Two Testate Amoebae
PROTOZOANS-
Here are two oval shaped testate amoebae. These amoebae have their own houses, called “Tests”. They are shells that protect the amoebae from predators. They will ooze out of their shells to eat up to 10,000 bacteria a day. Amoeba poop is the best food for plant roots!
A BACTERIAL FEEDING NEMATODE
NEMATODES-
Nematodes are tiny worms that move around in the soil. The good nematode in this picture eats only bacteria. It will move around quickly eating 10,000 tiny bacteria a day and help cycle nutrients to the plants. Some nematodes eat fungi, some eat other nematodes, and if the soil is unhealthy some nematodes will eat plant roots. Some harmful Root Feeding nematodes love garlic!