Soil Microbes and Nutrient Cycling
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Members of the microbiota group include…
• Bacteria • Protozoa • Fungi • Algae Microbiota are organisms <200 um
Mesobiotic soil organisms are?
• Nematodes • Rotifers • Springtails • Mites 200-10000um
Macrobiotic organisms include…
• Worms • Slugs • snails • many insect groups Any organism > 1cm Big Group
Bacteria are usually most abundant where?
The rhizosphere
Per gram of soil how many unicellular, prokaryotic organisms (bacteria) can be present in 1 gram of soil?
Around 200,000,000
What conditions do bacteria rapidly multiply?
• 10-25 degrees • Correct moisture
Fungi is the most abundant macrobiotic organism in soil by mass, how many t/ha?
2-5 t/ha
Fungi grow from spores to produce a mass of thread-like tissue called ____. These coalesce to form larger filaments called _____.
• Hyphae • Mycelia
A benefit to soil nutrition of fungi is…
• In harsh condtions rhizomorphs and mycelial chords made of hyphae spread nutrients through soil water.
What type of OM does fungal growth thrive upon?
Lignified
What is generally the most significant type of mesobiota?
Nematodes
Pros and cons of nematodes?
• Pro- many types feed harmlessly on microbiota and help recycle nutrients. • Con- Some are real pricks and feed on living grass
What role do earthworms play in speeding up nutrient cycling?
They break down OM into smaller units with larger surface area, speeding up its decomposition by fungi and bacteria.