2. The process of the degradation of organic material in the soil and the microbes that perform these processes DISCUSSION:
3. 85% dead matter 10% roots of living plants 5% microbes soil & animals SOIL organisms that degrade materials: microbes/ ants/ worms Ants/ beetles/ microarthropods Composition of SOIL is:
4. 1. Structures easy to decompose ie:sugars/starch/protein 2 . 10 weeks - leaves decompose cellulose (insoluble carbohydrate of plants) 30 weeks: stem material thinner lignan (complex structure of wood) 3 . 10 years – waxes/ phenols/ lignan 4. HUMUS - result of compounds that resist decomposition and have accumulated in soil (Soil Health, 2008)
5. DEGRADATION is a series of steps that: break the molecular structure of the organic matter into smaller & smaller components . THEN: mineral nutrients are released to the soil
6. 1. chemical alteration occurs 2. physical fragmentation 3. release of mineral nutrients 3 steps in degradation of organic matter (Soil Health, 2008)
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8. THESE minerals in soil aid the microbes metabolism ; by enabling the transfer of electrons within the reactions that occur (Soil Health, 2008)
9. Type & amount of organic matter Their ability to ADAPT depends upon: POROSITY NUTRIENTS pH 6.0-8.0 TEMPERATURE 15-30 o C contaminants AVAILABLE O 2 (Texas A and M University, 2008)
10. Other common Microbes in soil: Bacillus (genus) SUBTILIS Actinomycete (genus) STREPTOMYCES Clostridium (genus) PERFRINGENS
11.
12. Bibliography Soil Health. (2008). Soil organic matter . Retrieved September 21, 2008, from http//:www. soil health.com/ organic - Texas A and M University. (2008). Welcome to soil and crop sciences at Texas A and M University. Retrieved September 20, 2008, from http//: www.organiclifestyles.tamu.edu/ soil / microbe index.html - 32k - Wikipedia. (2008). Soil life . Soil life – wikipedia, the free encylopedia. Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http//:en.wikipedia.org/wiki / Soil _life - 35k -