"Our focus was on the energy cycles in the soil food web—meaning the energy that is passed on from decomposers and herbivores to small predators," says co-author Professor Nico Eisenhauer from iDiv.

Dark, dramatic and dead set on decomposition, soil is alive. Heaving with microbes, worms, fungi and insects, it’s a hive of activity right beneath our feet. Find out the dirt on soil’s drama. In just ...

Unfortunately, the use of pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilisers can severely deplete the life in our soils. We ...

On top of that, beneficial fungi can outcompete damaging fungi in the soil and make plants more disease-resistant. As decomposers, mushrooms are a valuable part of local ecosystems. But mushrooms ...

The drought monitor report as of Tuesday, March 11th continues showing a deterioration in conditions. Stafford County and part of Pawnee are back to abnormally dry.

Farmers can also use inorganic fertilisers on soil to overcome specific mineral deficiencies, although this does not require the involvement of decomposers.

The research team from CAS looked at soil fungi and their complex plant relationships, ranging from co-dependency as symbionts, to pathogens or decomposers that support nutrient recycling.