Occurrence of magnetic bacteria in soil

Abstract

Enrichment of the ferrimagnetic minerals magnetite and maghemite is frequently observed in the top layer of soil horizons. Although both inorganic and organic processes are known to produce magnetite, magnetite in soils has been ascribed to an inorganic origin. We report here the discovery of living magnetic bacteria, similar to those found in salt- and fresh-water sediments, in the A horizon of a well developed soil profile in a typical meadow environment in southern Bavaria. The bacteria were detected in fresh samples using an optical microscope equipped with a rotating magnetic field and a volumetrically calibrated depression slide, permitting accurate counts of the volume density of the organisms. We suggest that magnetic bacteria and their magnetofossils can contribute to the magnetic properties of soils.