Plant Roots, Plant Residue and Aboveground Herbivory as Organizers of Soil Food Webs

9527957克罗斯利土壤含有大量的微生物，如细菌和真菌，以及动物。这些动物的范围从微小的变形虫，微小的蠕虫，小蜘蛛和昆虫，到更熟悉的甲虫，蚂蚁，蚯蚓和哺乳动物。虽然这些动物中有许多可以在农业土壤中找到，但它们往往被忽视。目前的农业实践，包括翻耕土壤和添加化学品，杀死了许多人。但农业正在转向不那么密集的管理，例如减少耕作和减少化学品的使用。在可持续或减少投入的农业中，土壤生物学具有更大的重要性。需要开发新的管理技术，为了使这些技术有效，必须对土壤生物学有更好的基本了解。这项研究提出了一个问题，植物根系对土壤生物学有什么影响？此外，以植物叶子为食的昆虫通过根系活动与地下系统联系在一起。这种联系如何影响管理方法？这些问题的答案将有助于可持续农业的设计，并在确定地上草食动物和农业生态系统中的生根区之间的联系。

9527957 Crossley Soils contain a large number of microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, and animals. These animals range from tiny amoebae, microscopic worms, small spiders and insects, to the more familiar beetles, ants, earthworms, and mammals. Although many of these animals can be found in agricultural soils, they often have been ignored. Current agricultural practice, which involves tilling the soil and adding chemicals, kills many. But agriculture is moving towards less intensive management, such as reduced tillage and fewer chemical applications. In sustainable or reduced input agriculture, soil biology assumes much greater importance. New management techniques need to be developed, and for these to be effective, a better basic understanding of soil biology is necessary. This research asks the question, what are the effects of plant root systems on soil biology? Also, insects feeding on leaves of plants are linked by root activity to the below-ground system. How does this linkage affect methods of management? The answer to these questions will help in the design of sustainable agriculture and in determining linkages between above-ground herbivory and the rooting zone in agroecosystems.