Underground Universe

We all probably know that living things don't stop at ground level, even though we can't see what's there. When we dig in our gardens, we run into earthworms and nematodes, and probably other little bugs. Last fall I took my small Nature Studies class on a tour around Prairie Hill, looking for life under or on the ground. We lifted up logs and big rocks, peered under mulch, and dug into holes. It was during a drought, so many things had probably gone deep. But we did find all sorts of small beings crawling around, and even a toad. And that was right on top. It was just the outskirts of the world of life beneath our feet.

I'll admit it is hard for us to imagine what it's like in the soil. For one thing, it's hidden from us. For another, the life is so tiny there. To get a real picture, I have to put myself into a mind frame where I can imagine I'm one of the inhabitants of soil, maybe a bacteria. In my tiny self, I am surrounded with a whole world of life, bigger and smaller than me. As a bacteria, I probably don't have much of a sense of individuality. It works better to think of my family there as a tribe or community, a local gathering of the same kind of microbe. No one is alone and all have different roles. Maybe even more than above ground, the ecology of the soil is a great balancing act. The more I read about microbes in the soil, the more intrigued I get.

It would appear that we all depend upon microbes. The ecosystem of our own body has around 100 trillion of them, and they are indispensable! Outside in the soil, there are around a billion bacteria in one teaspoon! The numbers are mind-blowing from our human point of view. So to keep my mind from turning off, I imagine myself inhabiting the underground. From the earth above come dead plants and rain or snow, plus the warmth of the sun. Those dead plants are a feast for so many, many creatures around me. And as those creatures are breaking down the dead matter into nutrients for themselves, they also create food for other forms of life. There is a continual balancing act between fungi, protozoa, nematodes, bacteria, and algae as well as larger life like earthworms, bugs, spiders, and all manner of creepy crawlies. And there is constant interplay between the living roots of plants and the microbes around them.

Not only are microbes good at decomposing dead matter. They also pick up signals from living plants! Plants release hormones that attract beneficial bacteria. And these bacteria help the plants digest nutrients in the soil, protect them from harmful viruses and even protect them from drought by putting a sticky goo around their roots. You can read about hundreds of examples of cooperation among soil neighbors, one life form able to survive because of the interaction it has with another life form. At first you might wonder what motivates such good will, such helpful relationships. But it is a tapestry of ecosystem balance. Everyone benefits, as long as the ecosystem is not disturbed. Hmmm. As we know, that happens all the time! From us humans. 

There is growing evidence that if we started to put our efforts and energy into replenishing the health of our soil, it could be the key to regulating climate. Think of that! Unfortunately, humble soil does not catch the imagination as much as more dramatic features of the world. But if we started educating our children about the exciting life beneath the surface, the world of the underground, their lively imaginations could start creating solutions. In the meantime, spend some time pretending you are an earthworm. Who knows what you might find out!