BIO330H5 Study Guide - Final Guide: Soil Chemistry, Soil Fertility, Hudson Bay Lowlands
Document Summary
Nutrients are generally actively taken up as dissolved inorganic ions. Decomposition supplies n, but plants must compete with microbes. Nutrients are taken in differently as small dissolved ions. Except for c,o, and h, almost all are taken up by root as ions dissolved in soil water (mineral nutrients) Co2 comes from the air, h2o from the soil. For plants the big 3 nutrients tend to be: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. These elements are used to classify fertilizers (the ratio: nh4no3 is a common fertilizer. Common limiting nutrients: they"re used in large quantities and they"re fairly scarce. Nitrogen is often limiting a lot of it is needed (it"s in proteins, rubisco) Phosphorus is also limited usually (in nucleic acids, atp) it"s needed less, but supplies tend to be scarce. Other nutrients are used in small quantities which can be limiting but unusual. N, p, k usually most limiting in plants. Carbon dioxide and light are captured above ground.
