The rich life which thrives in soil will be revealed in a talk in Crowcombe next Friday (March 13).

Climate change awareness group Quantock Eco has arranged a visit from Lynne Boddy, professor of microbiology at Cardiff University, who will give a talk entitled ‘Hidden Kingdom of the Soil’.

Explaining her subject, Professor Boddy said: “Soil is made from weathered rock and organic matter by organisms that inhabit it.

“It is the source of water, nutrients and physical support for plant life in terrestrial ecosystems. 

“Treat it well and it supplies the needs of millions of organisms that inhabit it. To pillage it is to desertify.

“When we think of organisms in soil, our minds often turn immediately to plant roots or maybe earthworms, but there is far more to it than that.

“No-one can doubt that the terrestrial ecosystems of our planet would not work without plants. Equally they would not work without fungi.

“This talk will reveal the hidden lives of fungi in soil and their crucial roles in maintaining abundant life.”

The talk takes place at Crowcombe Village Hall at 7pm (doors open at 6.30pm) and is free for Quantock Eco members and students and £6 for non-members.