Soil zoology or pedozoology is the study of animals living fully or partially in the
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...
(
soil fauna
Soil biology is the study of Soil microbiology, microbial and faunal activity and ecology in soil.
Soil life, soil biota, soil fauna, or edaphon is a collective term that encompasses all organisms that spend a significant portion of their biolo ...
). The field of study was developed in the 1940s by
Mercury Ghilarov in Russia. Ghilarov noted inverse relationships between size and numbers of soil organisms. He also suggested that soil included water, air and solid phases and that soil may have provided the transitional environment between aquatic and terrestrial life. The phrase was apparently first used in the English speaking world at a conference of soil zoologists presenting their research at the
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948.
Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...
, UK, in 1955.
[Soil Zoology. Proceedings of the University of Nottingham, Second Easter School in Agricultural Science, 1955. by D. Keith McE. Kevan.]
See also
*
Biogeochemical cycle
A biogeochemical cycle, or more generally a cycle of matter, is the movement and transformation of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms, the atmosphere, and the Earth's crust. Major biogeochemical cycles include the carbon cyc ...
*
Soil ecology
Soil ecology studies interactions among soil organisms, and their environment. It is particularly concerned with the cycling of nutrients, soil aggregate formation and soil biodiversity.
Overview
Soil is made up of a multitude of physical, ch ...
*
Zoology
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
References
Bibliography
* Safwat H. Shakir Hanna, ed, 2004, ''Soil Zoology For Sustainable Development In The 21st century: A Festschrift in Honour of Prof. Samir I. Ghabbour on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday'',
Cairo
Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
, .
External links
D. Keith McE. Kevan, Ethnoentomologist ''
Cultural Entomology Digest'' 3
Soil biology
Edaphology
Soil science
{{ecology-stub