Microbiota are the smallest organisms (<0.1 mm diam.), extremely abundant, ubiquitous and diverse. The microflora includes algae, bacteria, archaea, cyanobacteria, fungi, yeasts, myxomycetes and actinomycetes that are able to decompose almost any existing natural material. The microfauna includes nematodes, protozoa, turbellarians, tardigrades and rotifers that generally live in the soil water films and feed on microflora, plant roots, other microfauna and sometimes larger organisms (e.g., entomopathogenic nematodes feed on insects and other larger invertebrates).

Back to describing organism by size

Back to describing soil organisms

More on soil organisms