Joining the bacteria underground are molds and fungi, microscopic plants which are important primary feeders in the world of decomposition, and the microscopic animal world of protozoa and nematodes. Together, these organisms have tirelessly performed a seldom-seen drama of cooperation and predation. The organic material and energy in this food web are therefore exchanged over and over again. Because all living things require nitrogen to produce or synthesize proteins, and as most cannot use the simple gaseous form, the bacteria working behind the scenes in the nitrogen cycle are crucial to the survival of almost all life on earth. However, there is one soil organism whose contributions have been extolled for centuries.
Worms are the backbone of healthy garden soil.
Day and night they sightlessly push their way through the earth as they create a deep and intricate maze of burrows. A typical colony of worms can actually form as many as 1,200 burrows in a cubic yard of soil. In fact, it is a considerable pantry, as worms can readily pull up to one full inch of leaf mulch down into the soil in just over several months. Worm burrows facilitate drainage and help bring rain and other water deep down to plant roots, while also providing small reservoirs for moisture. The process by which worms aerate soil is further significant as our nitrogen-recycling bacteria require oxygen to efficiently break down complex protein chains.