This chapter discusses the different types of microorganisms associated with soils. The interactions of microorganisms with plants are discussed. The subsurface biosphere is discussed. After reading this chapter you should be able to: differentiate between a mineral and an organic soil, and describe the role of microbes in generating soil organic matter, explain why lignin degradation is confined to only a few types of microbes, predict how a specific carbon to nitrogen ratio will influence the microbial community within a given soil;.
