Numbers of protozoa in certain Rothamsted soils

Abstract

Although during the last few years a good deal of work has been done on the soil protozoa, very little is known as yet as to their mode of life, behaviour and relations with the other soil organisms; so much is this the case that even the fact that they lead a trophic life in soil is often disputed. Since Russell and Hutchinson(16, 17) in their work on the partial sterilisation of soil first discussed the possible relations existing between the soil protozoa and bacteria, the question of the activity of protozoa in soil has become important. They found that partial sterilisation brought about an improvement in the soil as a medium for the growth of bacteria by the removal of a limiting factor, and further they showed that this limiting factor possessed many of the characteristics of a living organism.