Soil Fauna
Classified into microfauna, mesofauna, and macrofauna based on size and function in soil ecosystems.
A. Protozoa:
- Includes flagellates and amoebae, abundant in moist soils.
- Major role in bacterial regulation and biological control of pathogens.
B. Nematodes:
- Free-living nematodes vary with plant cover and season.
- Groups: Bacterivores, fungivores, herbivores.
- Higher populations in conventional tillage systems.
C. Collembola (Springtails):
- Small, wingless insects found in agricultural soils.
- Concentrated in the rhizosphere and feed on fungi and bacteria.
- Species: Proisotoma minuta, Onychiurus encarpatus, Folsomia candida.
D. Acarina (Mites):
- Most abundant soil microarthropods.
- Orders found in soil: Cryptostigmata, Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, Astigmata.
- Feed on fungi, bacteria, algae, and plant debris.