In this illustration, on the left we see a soil ecosystem, with organisms living within and above the soil surface. We cannot see any microbial life because microbes are so small. But if we were to see the microorganisms, it would look something like the right-hand image, where we can observe the microbes dispersed everywhere in that soil ecosystem. Though we cannot observe the microbes directly with our eyes, we can see the impact they have on the ecosystem through the regulation of nutrient cycling, the promotion of plant growth, the improved fertility of the soil, and the provision of soil structure and aggregation which has so many other tangible benefits such as increased water infiltration and decreased soil compaction. Microbes are an invisible force playing an important role in the entire system.