Soil and Plant Nutrition

Page
8

N2

NO3–

(nitrate)

Nitrifying

bacteria

NH4+

(ammonium)

NH3

(ammonia)

Ammonifying

bacteria

Organic

material (humus)

Root

NH4+

Slide 59

You should now be able to:

Define soil texture and soil composition.

Explain why plants cannot extract all of the water in soil.

Define cation exchange and describe how plants can stimulate the process.

Discuss the problems of topsoil erosion and farm irrigation in arid regions; suggest actions that can help mitigate these problems.

Distinguish between and list the macronutrients and micronutrient.s

Slide 60

Explain how a nutrient’s role and mobility determine the symptoms of a mineral deficiency.

Summarize the ecological role of each of the following groups of bacteria: ammonifying, denitrifying, nitrogen-fixing, nitrifying.

Describe the basis for crop rotation.

Distinguish between ectomycorrhizae and arbuscular mycorrhizae.

Describe the adaptations for nutrition of parasitic, epiphytic, and carnivorous plants.