It turns out that there's quite a micro-ecosystem in rice paddies.

Considering the economic value in the global rice crop—which, of course, reflects its importance as part of the global food supply.  So it’s important to learn as much as possible of the conditions that promote the growth of a healthy crop.  One aspect that doesn’t immediately spring to mind is the companion flora that live in the rice paddies.  A researcher in the Department of Biology at Southern Arkansas University did think about it, and characterized the diatoms, cyanobacteria, and algae present in the fields.  As in so many similar cases, the samples were stored in a laboratory freezer to preserve their integrity until they were analyzed.

For further information visit libinfo.uark.edu.

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