Q33. Without soil water, can there be active and beneficial soil microbial life?

Answer: Answer: Even the driest of deserts support an active microbial population of specialised
microbes that have adapted to the harsh conditions. There is not a habitat on the planet that
is devoid of some form of microbial life. Those microbes have a relationship with the plant
life in the environment and balance is maintained for the benefit of all life. If we consider
what think of as ‘normal’ environmental conditions, eg climatic conditions with temperatures
between about 10 and 30oC, then normal soil biota do need moist but not wet soil for
maximum microbial activity.

Posted in: Frequently Ask Questions