Soil Protozoa, a Microbial Indicator of Soil Health: A Review
Chitra Jayapalan*
Soil Zoology Section, Zoological Survey of India, India
Submission: September 06, 2017; Published: October 24, 2017
*Corresponding author: Chitra Jayapalan, Soil Zoology Section, Zoological Survey of India, M-Block New Alipore Kolkata-700 053, India, Email: chitrajayapalan@gmail.com
How to cite this article: Chitra J. Soil Protozoa, a Microbial Indicator of Soil Health: A Review. Adv Biotech & Micro. 2017; 6(5): 555700. DOI:10.19080/AIBM.2017.06.555700
Introduction
One of the restricted group of organisms studied among protistans are soil protozoa recently. Their rich diversity of protozoans among the soil habitats is immense. Amoebae (testate and naked), ciliates and flagellates are the three main protozoans found highly abundant in Soil. Numerous heterotrophic flagellates and naked amoebae are available in agricultural soils, grassland, forest soil, bottom sediment of freshwater, coastal and marine waters. They are influenced by living roots or by dead organic material; occasionally they would reach high population as several millions per gram of soil [1]. Soil health is important to maintain where the soil organisms are main components among the physical, chemical and biological elements of soil. The population of the microbial habitat depicts the early warning or sign on soil degradation and health [2].
Role of protozoa
Protozoans play an important role in agricultural soils as bacterial consumers, and to a minor extent as consumers of fungi leads to mineralization of organic soil nitrogen in form of ammonium which are being taken by the plants. Based on their size and flexibility they are able to graze bacteria in small pores in the soil. And the population differs in soil according to the water potential, soil texture and soil structure [1]. Mastigophorans (flagellates) tend to dominate in drier soils while ciliophorans (ciliates) are abundance in moist soil. Cultivated soil and clay soil are predominated by flagellates and amoebae while soil of coarse texture consists of large flagellates, testaceans and ciliates Protozoans mainly for their food source they compete with nematodes, regulates bacterial and algal population and act as feed for nematodes, rotifers etc., which dwells in soil environment [3]. Their consumption of bacterial productivity leads to enhance the nutrient cycles and the energy glows to the microorganisms, plants and animals which indicate the powerful tool to assess and monitor the changes in biotic and abiotic environment [4]. They play as bio indicators or bio monitors in peatland, saltmarshes, mangroves sediments of lakes, reservoirs, ponds, wetlands etc., even several protected forest floor’s health is related to the status of protozoans correlate with the soil moisture levels, acidic status and also helps to assess in alteration in the long term ecology. Few testate amoebae were act as indicators in the determination of biostratigraphic and palaeo environmental applications [5-7].
Conclusion
Soil microbes especially protozoan diversity can be signified as main component of terrestrial ecosystem. Protozoans like testate and naked amoebae, ciliates, flagellates and foraminiferans were some of the protistans highly involved in habitat and ecological changes and also act as indicators of soil health. Their diversity, population and their role in food chain plays a crucial management in faunal components of soil. Although the significant role of soil protozoans are known widely much research are needed to explore the soil protozoans from country like India in terms of biodiversity and conservation. Taxonomic and experimental studies along with Long term monitoring would leads to discovery of protozoans in this field.
Acknowledgement
The author sincerely acknowledges Dr. Kailash Chandra, The Director Zoological Survey of India for lab facilities to initiate research work in Soil Protozoans of India.
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