Soil Microbes
These single-celled organisms are key decomposers and thrive in moist environments.
Bacteria
The primary element converted from ammonium to nitrate by nitrifying bacteria.
What is nitrogen?
This is the feeling of percentage of sand, silt, and clay in soil.
What is soil texture?
This is the ideal temperature range (in °F) for hot composting.
What is 135–160°F?
These organisms eat bacteria and release plant-available nutrients.
What are protozoa or nematodes?
These filamentous fungi help decompose lignin and stabilize soil structure.
Fungi
This gas is released during denitrification.
What is N₂ (nitrogen gas)?
These threadlike fungal structures help bind soil particles together.
What are hyphae?
DAILY DOUBLE!
Aerobic compost must be turned regularly to maintain this.
What is oxygen?
Fungi are often consumed by these tiny arthropods.
What are mites, springtails, beetles or flies?
The term for the sticky outer layer secreted by bacteria that helps them form aggregates.
Biofilm
This microbial process makes nutrients available in plant-usable form.
What is mineralization?
The crumbly structure of healthy topsoil formed by microbial action.
What is aggregate structure?
This tea is made by steeping compost in water with microbial foods and oxygen.
What is actively aerated compost tea?
This top predator in the soil food web keeps nematode populations in check.
What are predatory nematodes or microarthropods?
These protozoa move using pseudopodia and help control bacterial populations.
What are amoebae?
The term for nutrient retention on clay or organic particles.?
What is cation exchange capacity (CEC)
This space between soil particles allows for gas exchange and water movement.
What are pores or pore spaces?
One of the most common food sources added to tea to feed fungi.
What is humic acid?
DAILY DOUBLE!!!
What is the difference of Prokaryote and eukaryote cells.
Prokaryote is more simple, eukaryote is more complex.
DAILY DOUBLE!!
This type of microorganism can fix atmospheric nitrogen in symbiosis with legumes.
What are nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., Rhizobium)?
This microbial group converts nitrates back into gaseous nitrogen.
What are denitrifying bacteria?
This process, aided by biology, helps soil resist erosion and compaction.
What is soil aggregation?
The tool used to evaluate microbial populations in compost tea.
What is a microscope?
These organisms consume both fungi and bacteria and are critical in nutrient cycling.
What are flagellates (or omnivorous protozoa)?