
Biological
One teaspoon of healthy soil contains 100,000,000,000 individual bacteria.
Soil organisms play critical roles in plant health and water dynamics. Processes that soil organisms contribute to include: nutrient cycling, nutrient retention, water infiltration and water-holding capacity, disease suppression, degradation of pollutants, increasing the soil’s biological diversity, and improving soil structure.
Soil biological processes are responsible for supplying approximately 75 percent of the plant-available nitrogen and 65 percent of the available phosphorus in the soil. Like all organisms, those inhabiting soil need food and a favorable environment. Adequate organic matter content, ample aeration, moderate moisture, neutral pH and warm temperatures all favor increased microbial activity.