The Role of Interactions between Bacteria and Clay Minerals in Pedochemical Processes

The paper reviews bilateral interactions between bacteria and clay minerals and their effect on the chemical composition of soils and chemical processes in them. Bacteria are demonstrated to be involved in weathering processes and in transformations and synthesis of clay minerals and thus change water-retaining properties of the soils, maintain their fertility, and contribute to the cycling of nutrients and contaminants. The paper describes diverse processes of direct and indirect effects of phyllosilicates on the microbiological activity and microbial diversity in soils, as well as the biogeochemical role of these processes. The wide occurrence of the various types of interactions between bacteria and clay minerals is obviously controlled by the First Biogeochemical Principle formulated by V.I. Vernadsky.