
I. INTRODUCTION
Study of the biological factors of the soil, their interactions and how they affect the growth of plants. This subject can range from the large mammals which live in soil (e.g., woodchuck) to the small microorganisms and viruses. This course will cover the microorganism and smaller fauna.
A. Course Format
Course will be organized into 3 general sections:
1. Soil Organisms
2. Nutrient Transformations
3. Plant-microorganism relationships
Soil microbiology is just a specialized branch of microbiology or soil science.
Soil microorganisms are important in many soil processes, but also a factor in other fields.
Why study Soil Biology?