Soil as a habitat: what characteristics does the organisms living in it have

Soil as a habitat is considered quite often. Many organisms live in it, which have significant differences from each other. These include fungi, unicellular organisms, plants, and even mammals. These organisms have special adaptations that facilitate the process of survival in the structure of the soil, but at the same time interfere with living in a different environment.

Features of the soil as a living environment

Soil is a rather loose layer of soil, which consists of mineral formations. They are formed by the collapse of rocks under the influence of physico-chemical factors and organic elements that appear as a result of the decomposition of the remains of animal and plant nature.

Fresh organic elements are found in the upper soil structures. It is there that many bacterial microorganisms, fungi, arthropods and worms live. Due to their activity, the surface layers of the soil develop. At the same time, the chemical and physical destruction of bedrock triggers the formation of deep soil structures.

The soil environment has the following characteristics:

high density;
lack of light;
small temperature fluctuations;
minimum amount of oxygen.

Soil is characterized by a large amount of carbon dioxide. In addition, the soil has a rather porous structure.

Ecological groups of organisms

All inhabitants of the soil are called edaphobionts, which in the process of interaction with each other form a special biocenotic complex.It takes an effective part in the creation of the soil environment and affects the parameters of its fertility. There is also another kind of creatures that inhabit the soil - pedobionts. They go through the larval stage in their development.

Edaphobius representatives have distinctive anatomical and morphological features. So, animals are characterized by rolled forms of the body, strong covers, small sizes. They also have reduced eyes. Representatives of this group have a tendency to saprophagy - eating the remains of other organisms.

At the same time, living beings can be aerobic or anaerobic. In the first case, they need oxygen for normal life, in the second, they do not need it.

By size and degree of mobility

Small organisms living in the soil are called microfauna. These include rotifers, protozoa, tardigrades. In fact, these are aquatic organisms that live in pores filled with water.

Relatively large inhabitants are called mesofauna. Their lifestyle involves living in small caves. This group includes arthropods - various types of mites and primary wingless insects that do not have tools for digging and are characterized by slow movement along the surfaces of cavities.

Megafauna includes large excavators - representatives of the family of mammals. Some animals live underground all their lives. These include, in particular, moles and mole rats.

According to the degree of connection with the environment

Organisms living underground differ in appearance. This helps to understand their habitat and draw conclusions about their lifestyle. For example, a small torso with short legs and tail, a short neck and blind eyes indicates the underground preferences of an animal that digs minks. This appearance is typical for forest moles and steppe mole rats.

Depending on the level of connection with the environment, there are such groups:

Geobionts - all the time live in the structure of the soil. These include primary wingless insects and worms. It is also customary to include moles and mole rats in this group.
Geofioles - their life cycle is characterized by different habitats. One part of the time they live in the soil, the other - in a different environment. These are predominantly flying insects. It can be bears, beetles, butterflies. One part of the insects lives in the soil during the larval phase, the second - the pupal stage.
Geoxens - sometimes visit the soil. Most often they use the earth as a shelter. These may be burrowing mammals. Also included in this group are various insects - beetles, hemipterans, cockroaches.

Separately, it is worth mentioning psammophytes and psammophiles.These include, in particular, ant lions and marble beetles. These insects are adapted to living in loose environments in desert areas. Methods of adaptation to granular media can differ significantly. So, animals are able to push sand with their bodies or have paws resembling skis.

Ways of adaptation

The ways of adapting to different habitats can vary significantly. With difficult movement in a dense substrate, the inhabitants are distinguished by a rounded or worm-shaped body. So, earthworms pass soil through the body, and mammals have burrowing limbs.

Mole rats and moles have underdeveloped visual functions. At the same time, in some species of animals, the eyes generally grow over. To navigate in their many holes, animals use other senses - for example, touch or smell.

During the movements, the animals rub their bodies against the fragments of the soil all the time. Therefore, their covers are especially durable and flexible. In addition, most of these animals are characterized by skin respiration.

Underground inhabitants also differ in the way they get food. Among them there are parasites, predatory animals, phytophages. But most of them are saprotrophs. The basis of their nutrition is dead organic matter. Such organisms include fungi and bacteria, which are very important for the normal formation of the soil, its structuring and aeration.

Environment Examples

Examples of soil environments include zokors and moles. They have a powerful streamlined body of small size, which does not exceed 20-25 centimeters. The front paws are adapted for digging and resemble the shape of a shovel. They have long fingers and sharp claws.

The ears are almost invisible and the eyes are half blind. Another characteristic feature is the short neck and the same tail. In appearance, the mole rat resembles a zokor. However, this animal uses teeth that protrude forward of the lips for digging.

Animals that live underground adapt to breathe on the surface of the body. When they enter the ground-air environment, they immediately die. This is due to the drying of the skin.

Curious facts

The inhabitants of the soil are characterized by interesting features:

Earthworms drag plant remains into their burrows. This contributes to the formation of humus and the return of trace elements extracted by plants. When processing fallen leaves, animals produce up to 30 tons per 1 hectare of fertile soil. As a result, a layer of 50-80 centimeters is created.
Some earthworms can reach 2 meters in length. They make moves 1-4 meters deep. The inhabitants of the southern regions are able to reach a depth of 8 meters. When moving, the worms rely on outgrowths in the form of bristles, which are located on the rings of the body.
Maybeetles live in the ground in the larval stage for 4 years. They eat roots of grass and young trees. After pupation, the insects come to the surface.

Soil formation is connected with the influence of various factors. However, soil microorganisms play a key role. Because animals and plants have specific adaptations with which they feel safe.