Leonardo da Vinci once mused that "we know more
about the movement of celestial bodies than about the
soil underfoot," an observation that is as apt today as
it was five hundred years ago. The biological world
under our toes is often unexplored and unappreciated,
yet it teems with life. In one square meter of earth,
there live trillions of bacteria, millions of nematodes,
hundreds of thousands of mites, thousands of insects and
worms, and hundreds of snails and slugs. But because of
their location and size, many of these creatures are as
unfamiliar and bizarre to us as anything found at the
bottom of the ocean. Lavishly illustrated with nearly
three hundred color illustrations and masterfully
rendered black-and-white drawings throughout, "Life in
the Soil" invites naturalists and gardeners alike to dig
in and discover the diverse community of creatures
living in the dirt below us. Biologist and acclaimed
natural history artist James B. Nardi begins with an
introduction to soil ecosystems, revealing the unseen
labors of underground organisms maintaining the rich
fertility of the earth as they recycle nutrients between
the living and mineral worlds. He then introduces
readers to a dazzling array of creatures: wolf spiders
with glowing red eyes, snails with 120 rows of teeth,
and 10,000-year-old fungi, among others. Organized by
taxon, "Life in the Soil" covers everything from slime
molds and roundworms to woodlice and dung beetles, as
well as vertebrates from salamanders to shrews. The book
ultimately explores the crucial role of soil ecosystems
in conserving the worlds above and below ground. A
unique and illustrative introduction to the many
unheralded creatures that inhabit our soils and shape
our environment above-ground, "Life in the Soil" will
inform and enrich the naturalist in all of us.
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