Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners

316 Pages·2007·3.23 MB·English

by  James B. Nardi

Life in the Soil
Life in the Soil
JAMES B. NARDI
A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners
The University of Chicago Press chicago and london
james b. nardi is a biologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
and the Illinois Natural History Survey who gardens with the help of innumerable
soil creatures.
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 2007 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. Published 2007
Printed in the United States of America
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 1 2 3 4 5
ISBN- 13: 978-0-226-56852-2 (paper)
ISBN- 10: 0-226-56852-0 (paper)
Library of Congress Cataloging- in-Publication Data
Nardi, James B., 1948–
Life in the soil : a guide for naturalists and gardeners / James B. Nardi.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN- 13: 978-0-226-56852-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-1 0: 0-226-56852-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Soil biology. I. Title.
QH84.8.N36 2007
578.75(cid:2)7—dc22
2006037834
o The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
How to Use This Book xiii
Preface xix
part one. the marriage of the mineral world and
the organic world
A. Introduction 1
B. How Soil Forms from Rocks and Weather 6
C. Plant Roots and Their Bacterial Partners 9
D. Plant Roots and Their Fungal Partners 11
E. Where Roots Meet Rocks and Minerals 15
F. Plant Roots and Their Animal Partners 22
1. Life in a Dark and Densely Populated World 22
2. Soil Fertility and the Formation of Humus 30
3. The Importance of Nitrogen 32
4. The Contribution of Animals to Soil Structure 36
5. Diggers and Tillers of the Soil 39
G. How Plants and Animals Aff ect the Layers of a Soil 40
part two. members of the soil community
A. Microbes 47
1. Eubacteria and Archaebacteria 47
2. Actinomycetes 51
3. Algae 54
vi Contents
4. Fungi 56
5. Chytrids, Hyphochytrids, Oomycetes 60
6. Lichens 62
7. Slime Molds 63
8. Protozoa 65
Animal Kingdom
B. Invertebrates—Animals without Backbones 67
a. Animals Without Backbones or Jointed Legs 67
1. Flatworms 67
2. Roundworms and Potworms 69
3. Earthworms 74
4. Land Leeches 79
5. Rotifers 80
6. Snails and Slugs 81
7. Tardigrades 83
8. Onychophorans 86
b. Arthropods Other Than Insects 88
1. Mites and Springtails 88
2. Proturans and Diplurans 95
3. Myriapods 98
4. Spiders 103
5. Daddy Longlegs 105
6. Pseudoscorpions 107
7. True Scorpions, Windscorpions, Whipscorpions, and
Schizomids 109
8. Microwhipscorpions 112
9. Ricinuleids 113
10. Woodlice 114
11. Crayfi sh 116
c. Insects: The Most Abundant Arthropods 116
1. Jumping Bristletails and Silverfi sh 117
2. Earwigs 119
3. Cockroaches 120
4. Camel Crickets and Mole Crickets 122
5. Short- horned Grasshoppers 124
6. Termites 125
7. Thrips 128
8. Big- eyed Bugs and Burrower Bugs 130
Contents vii
9. Aphids, Phylloxerans, and Coccoids 131
10. Cicadas and Rhipicerid Beetles 134
11. Rove Beetles and Ground Beetles 135
12. Tiger Beetles 138
13. Short- winged Mold Beetles 139
14. Featherwing Beetles 141
15. Sap Beetles 141
16. Antlike Stone Beetles 143
17. Minute Fungus Beetles 144
18. Ptilodactylid Beetles 146
19. Glowworms, Firefl ies, and Lightningbugs 147
20. Soldier Beetles 149
21. Dung Beetles 150
22. Carrion Beetles, Burying Beetles, and Hister Beetles 154
23. Wireworms and Click Beetles 157
24. Beetles of Rotten Logs 159
25. Scarabs, Weevils, and Their Grubs 163
26. Variegated Mud-l oving Beetles 165
27. Fungus Beetles 167
28. Scorpionfl ies 168
29. Antlions 170
30. Caterpillars and Moths 171
31. March Flies, Crane Flies, and Soldier Flies 173
32. Midges and Biting Midges 176
33. Moth Flies 178
34. Snipe Flies 179
35. Robber Flies 179
36. Bee Flies 181
37. Long- legged Flies 182
38. Picture- winged Flies 182
39. Root- maggot Flies 183
40. Gall Wasps 186
41. Parasitic Wasps 188
42. Digger Bees and Velvet Ants 189
43. Digger Wasps 193
44. Ants 195
C. Vertebrates 197
a. Vertebrates Other Than Mammals 198
1. Salamanders 198
viii Contents
2. Toads 199
3. Caecilians 201
4. Lizards 202
5. Snakes 204
6. Turtles and Tortoises 205
7. Birds 207
b. Mammals 212
1. Woodchucks and Skunks 217
2. Badgers 220
3. Prairie Dogs 223
4. Ground Squirrels and Chipmunks 225
5. Moles 228
6. Shrews 231
7. Pocket Gophers 233
8. Kangaroo Rats 235
part three. working in partnership with
creatures of the soil
1. Preventing Erosion 240
2. Avoiding Excessive Use of Fertilizers 242
3. Eff ects of Acid Rain 245
4. Avoiding Salt-E ncrusted Soils 246
5. Maintaining Soil Structure 248
6. Discouraging Invasion of Soils by Exotic Species 250
7. Composting as an Antidote to Soil Abuse 251
Collecting and Observing Life of the Soil 257
Glossary 269
Further Reading 275
Index 279
Plates follow page 138.
Acknowledgments
Over many years this manuscript on life in the soil grew in the fer-
tile environment provided by a community of friends and colleagues.
Some friends helped me prepare diagrams and design illustrations.
Others shared their discoveries, advice, and encouragement. Each
person’s contribution enriched the manuscript.
My mother steadfastly nurtured my interest in nature and garden-
ing from the time when I fi rst encountered the world beneath my
feet. Mark Bee labeled most illustrations and helped prepare many
diagrams for this guide. His many talents and interests—as micros-
copist, musician, and artist—added to the impact of the illustrations.
Joyce Scott advised me on artistic matters—proportions, textures,
shading. She could see ways to improve drawings that often eluded
me. Molly Scott is an accomplished artist who worked part-t ime at
the University of Illinois Artist Service. She spent many hours scan-
ning illustrations for this book and preparing a number of its dia-
grams.
Michael Jeff ords contributed most of the photographs that grace
this guide. As Education and Public Relations Liaison at the Illinois
Natural History Survey, Michael’s photographs have appeared in
many publications and presentations. They speak eloquently for na-
ture.
My Sunday morning companions in the Indiana woods, Daisy
(fi g.118) and Maggie, explored the soil with me and often were able
to “see” with their noses creatures that I probably would not have