Abstract
All the animals living below our feet are not still. They can move (to a lot of places because the soil is a 3D space) and to change (for example, from a cocoon to an active state). Therefore, the same soil below a given piece of field may not contain the same living communities in winter as in summer, or even during a sunny day compared to a cold night. For example, research on soil beetle larvae showed seasonal vertical movements, as the larvae searched for better living conditions. Moreover, the soil varies a lot during its formation, and consequently its inhabitants also change. In the case of oribatids, a minuscule but diverse group of soil mites, scientists observed changes in the community over dozen to hundreds of years! Many studies showed a basic but powerful principle: ecosystems are not still photographs, but instead are constantly changing environments.