BIO330H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Hudson Bay Lowlands, Lignin, Mycorrhiza
Document Summary
If land becomes contaminated by sewage, nitrogen level might become toxically high. Works best when carbon and nitrogen are in readily available forms. In areas of high rainfall and poor drainage. Inhibits decomposers because they are aerobic: metabolism becomes anaerobic and produces acids. There are specialized plants that can tolerate low nitrogen level environments. Along water course, there are plants that require a higher oxygen demand because there is water movement there; allowing for more decomposition to occur. Beach ridges: use to be shorelines; above wetland, more raised, warmer; more nutrient exchange. Some prokaryotes can access n directly from atmosphere and fix it into mineral, useable form (such as ammonium and nitrate) that can be used: uses a lot of energy, energetically expensive. Some plants have symbioses with microbes: where plants provide energy, microbes provide useable nutrients i. e. root nodules of legumes: provide n to plants.
