A Challenge and Chance for Soil Ecology

The understanding of soil and its response to the global warming is important for the harmony of human and environment. Generally, soil has four majorcomponents as air, water, mineral matter, and organic matter. The relative proportions of these four components greatly influence the behavior and productivity of soils. Through interactions of energy flow and mass exchange,soil plays the role as the crucial interface medium for air, minerals, water and life, and forms a complex integrated body, ecosystem. To a great extent, soil ecology is one new branch of ecology that study the relationship between soil biota and environment, including ecological structure, function, balance and evolution of soil ecosystem. The application of soil ecology will be a benefit for the reasonable and sustainable use of land resources and be important for agriculture, forestry and grazing production.