What do ants and soils do for each other?

February 16, 2021 – Have you ever wondered how important ants are for agriculture and soils? They do not get much credit for their contributions, and many people dislike them. This Soil Science Society of America’s (SSSA) February 15^th Soils Matter Blog explains how ants are valuable to our ecosystem.

According to blogger Rahul Raman, “Ants live a social life. They have their own complex societies. These societies have division of labor. Queen ants lay eggs for future generations. These eggs hatch into larva. Numerous non-reproductive adult ants in these societies serve as laborers.”

Battalions of ants make their nest in soil. So how do they help us? Nests formed by ants causes loosening of soil which increases water infiltration and soil aeration from the tunnels in the nest. This leads to increased soil moisture content and increased plant growth, along with promoting microbial activities within the soil.

Ants also enrich the nitrogen content of soil. To learn more about the benefits of ants in soil, read the entire blog: https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2020/12/08/what-do-ants-and-soils-do-for-each-other/

The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, and founded in 1936, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members and 1,000+ certified professionals dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. The Society provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.

Follow SSSA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SSSA.soils, Twitter at SSSA_Soils. SSSA has soils information on www.soils.org/discover-soils, for teachers at www.soils4teachers.org, and for students through 12^th grade, www.soils4kids.org.