A sterile environment for growing, and monitoring, micro-organisms under arange of soil matric potentials

The energy status of soil water, as defined by the soil matric potential, p lays an important role in regulating the dynamics of all soil organisms. In particular the relations between soil matric potential and soil microbes h ave been well documented. We have built a simple. reproducible, and inexpen sive tension table designed to equilibrate soil samples in a sterile enviro nment, or in an environment that ensures specific populations of soil micro -organisms are protected from competing populations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd. All rights reserved.