Soil Arthropods What They Are and A Few Interesting Facts Soil arthropods are invertebrates, meaning they don't have a spinal column. Their legs are jointed. If you saw one, you'd probably call them something very scientific, such as "bugs." Soil arthropods can be microscopic or quite large (i.e., large enough to cause a moment of panic if you find one crawling up your pant leg). There are lots of different arthropods: insects, such as ants and springtails crustaceans, such as sowbugs arachnids, such as spiders and mites myriapods, such as centipedes and millipedes scorpions Arthropods perform many different functions in the soil community. Some are shredders, others predators. Some arthropods eat plants, while others feed strictly on fungus. Why They Are Important They stir up and churn the soil, mixing in air (aerating), which is needed by other organisms in the soil community. They shred organic matter into small pieces, assisting other soil organisms in the decomposition process. They regulate populations of other soil organisms, like protozoa, which help maintain a healthy soil food web and control disease-causing organisms. In turn, soil arthropods make a nice dinner for larger animals such as burrowing mammals, birds, and lizards. They help distribute beneficial microbes in the soil. Through consumption, digestion, and excretion of soil organic matter, soil arthropods help improve soil structure and change nutrients into forms available to plants. Learn More! Moldenke, Andrew R. 1998. The soil biology primer, soil arthropods. USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Quality Institute. Moldenke, Andy. 1993. Denizens of the soil: small, but critical. Natural Resources News-Special Edition-August, 1993. Nash, M. H. and W.G. Whitford. 1995. Subterranean termites: regulators of soil organic matter in the Chihuahuan desert. Biolog. Fertil. Soils 19: 15-18. Whitford, Walter G. 1991. Subterranean termites and long-term productivity of desert rangelands. Sociobiology 19: (1 ) 235-243.           Back | Next Page | Home

Microscopic view of Springtail Photo credit:  SSSA   Male Ologamasid mite Photo credit:  Dr. David Evans Walter, Department of Zoology & Entomology, The University of Queensland, Australia   Basket mite Photo credit:  Dr. David Evans Walter, Department of Zoology & Entomology, The University of Queensland, Australia   Ant lion waiting for prey Photo credit:  Bill Chissoe, SR Noble Electron Microscopy Lab of the Univerity of Oklahoma   Harvester ant mound Photo credit: BLM   Harvester ants are granivores (they eat seeds) Photo credit: Jim Munger, Boise State University