Life in the soil
The edaphon, that is, all organisms living in the soil, can reach a weight of around 25 tons per hectare in a forest under ideal conditions. These organisms can process up to 15 tons of plant residues, animal excrement, and carcasses per hectare annually into stable, long-lasting humus. If the forest is cleared and used as arable land, the weight of the soil organisms quickly decreases to four to five tons per hectare. The smallest organisms, namely fungi and bacteria, make up about three-quarters of this mass. Generally speaking, the smaller the life form, the greater its number.