How to Interpret Soil Foodweb Assays

Table 2

Protozoa: All too low, in all samples. Need to add an inoculum of protozoa, which is typically found in compost with higher moisture, compost tea, or in commercial products (see www.soilfoodweb.com for list). Note the variability in this assessment method. All three values of flagellates are probably not significantly different one for the other. How is this determined? From replicate sampling from a set of soil samples.

Nematodes: All too low numbers, low diversity. This is the hardest component of the foodweb to return to healthy conditions once the food web has been destroyed. An inoculum of beneficial nematodes is needed to re-establish this group of the soil foodweb.

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