Four 4 x 4 meters plots were marked by flags labeled NW, NE, SW, SE within ESSRE microclimates 3 & 4, see table one. These plots were chosen based on their high density of either native or invasive plants. 36 soil samples were taken in total, 12 per day for three days (07.05.22, 07.06.22, and 07.07.22). The samples were taken at 15 cm depth using a soil extractor and placed in a labeled plastic bag. A plant transect was performed in all four plots (ESSRE site 3 & 4). The plants were counted from NE to SW at a diagonal, scanning approximately 1 foot of width, and then NW to SE. This was repeated for all four plots. In order to keep track of the number of each plant in the path, tallying was necessary. If a portion of any plot contained vast amounts of the same plant, the number of plants found in a 6 inch x 6 inch square were counted and the total number was approximated by finding the length of the diagonal of the one plant. This plant transect was done with a goal of having 70% of the necessary plant type: native or invasive. If one of the plots does not meet this criteria, a new one must be chosen. Then, serial dilutions were performed using 1 cubic centimeter of a fresh soil sample with sterile water mixed to the 10-4 dilution. Then 100 µl samples of each dilution were plated on the 3M petrifilm aerobic count plates using a micropipette. The plates sat for 48 hours and then were placed under a microscope and each protozoa slide was counted 5 times, ignoring diversity. The number a density was determined using a modified Uhlig extractor method under a microscope at 40x magnifications. Each slide was observed at five different fields of view. The resulting five protozoa counts were averaged. The following equation was used to determine the population density of protozoa: [(# per field of view at 40X) * (total ml of water used) * 747] / (grams of sifted soil) = # of protozoa per gram of soil. Soil samples were tested by following the pH test instructions from the LaMotte Combination Soil Outfit Kit model STH-14.