 |
"Your #1 source for information about how to compost."
|
 |
 |
||
 HOW TO COMPOST An Overview Getting Started Making Decisions Systems (Methods) Making Compost What a Good Pile Needs What You Need Extras & Additives What to Use - or Not! Building the Pile Maintenance When is it Finished? Troubleshooting Outdoor Digesters Anaerobic Aerobic Indoor Methods Vermicomposting (Worms) Bokashi Using Compost Just Do It Composting Science Physics Chemistry Biology Soil Science More Than Just Dirt Garden Soil Myth Busting Environmental Issues Garbage Gripes Water & Soil Remediation Nutrient Pollution Harmful Chemicals A Few Concerns Pathogens Pesticides Heavy Metals What You Can Do Additional Resources  |
 |
|
 |
The Soil Food WebIn his graceful work Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners, James B. Nardi attempts not merely to catalogue but to describe just a few "Members of the Soil Community," as he calls them. Under "Microbes," he lists eight categories: Eubacteria and Archaebacteria; Actinomycetes; Algae; Fungi; Chytrids, Hyphochytrids, Oomycetes; Lichens; Slime Molds; and Protozoa.The chapter "Invertebrates" list 44 separate creatures. The names alone are fascinating: "Scarabs, Weevils, and Their Grubs," "Carrion Beetles, Burying Beetles, and Hister Beetles," "Aphids, Phylloxerans, and Coccoids," "Jumping Bristletails and Silverfish," "Big-eyed Bugs and Burrower Bugs," not to mention Pseudoscorpions, Termites, Thrips, Woodlice, Cockroaches, Earwigs, at least fourteen different kinds of beetles, Ants, Velvet Ants, and Ant Lions, and many, many more.  Source: "Soil Biology: The Soil Food Web" USDA Nat'l Resources Conservation Service Each of these creatures plays its part in the soil food web. All are nourished at the most basic level by organic matter in the soil. Feeding that complex world of creatures is one of the most important contributions that compost makes to soil. Yet it is only one of many. |
|
 Home | Glossary | Tips & Tricks Copyright © 2012 SparkyBoy Enterprises. All rights reserved. info@composterconnection.com |
||