Energy Transformations Supporting Growth and Survival of Soil Microbes

Along with the appropriate chemical and physical properties required for microbial survival, the soil habitat must contain the energy resources necessary for growth and sustainability of the soil microbes. A primary key to understanding microbial processes in soil is to understand the nuances of microbial energy recovery. This chapter examines the basic growth and energy recovery mechanisms of the soil microbial community. In the laboratory, microbial growth kinetics are assessed as closed systems or as open systems. The intricacies of microbial growth and the impact of soil properties on growth rate are best exemplified by contrasting microbial growth principles derived from laboratory study to those occurring in the soil ecosystem. A variety of complex mathematical models have been developed to describe microbial metabolism in soil ecosystems. The chapter discusses the mathematical representation of soil microbial growth and the implications of microbial energy and carbon transformation capacities for soil biological processes.