Though it might seem inanimate, the soil under our feet is very much alive. It's filled with countless microorganisms actively breaking down organic matter, like fallen leaves and plants, and performing a host of other functions that maintain the natural balance of carbon and nutrients stored in the ground beneath us.
A team of BU biologists revealed, for the first time, that it is possible to accurately predict the abundance of different species of soil microbes in different parts of the world.
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Why Scientists Want to Solve an Underground Mystery about Where Microbes Live
Though it might seem inanimate, the soil under our feet is very much alive. It’s filled with countless microorganisms actively breaking down organic matter, like fallen leaves and plants, and performing a host of other functions that maintain the natural balance of carbon and nutrients stored in the ground beneath us.
“Soil is mostly microorganisms, both alive and dead,” says Jennifer Bhatnagar, soil microbiologist and Boston University College of Arts & Sciences assistant professor of biology. Under a microscope, it’s typical to see several hundred different types of fungi and bacteria in a single pinch of soil off the ground, she says, making it one of the most diverse ecosystems that exist.