Components of Soil
What is topsoil made of?
Living organisms and humus (organic matter and dead organisms)
Micronutrients in plants mainly serve what function?
Co-factors to enzymes
Name one function of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.
- Produce chemicals that stimulate plant growth
- Produces antibiotics
-Absorbs dangerous materials
What is the symbiotic relationship between plant roots and fungi called?
Mycorrhizae
Give me an example of a carnivorous plant.
Venus fly trap, pitcher plant, sundew, etc...
Name one technology used to conserve soil.
Possible answers: Irrigation, adjusting soil pH, fertilization, controlling erosion, phytoremediation.
In more mobile nutrients, it's deficiency is more common in which type of leaf?
Older leafs
Ammonifying bacteria release ammonia by breaking down what?
Organic materials (hummus).
What are the two main types of mycorrhizae?
Ectomycorrhizae & endomycorrhizae/arbuscular mycorrhizae.
What are the three unusual nutritional adaptations covered in the slides?
Epiphytes, parasitic plants, and carnivorous plants.
Earthworms move organic matter deep into soil.
What is the name of the type of mineral solution used to grow plants in labs?
Hydroponic culture.
Inside each nodule, rhizobium is called what?
Bacteroids.
What is the approximate age of the oldest mycorrhizal fungi fossil?
What does the term epiphyte mean?
Epiphyte comes from two greek words, "epi" which means upon, and "phyton" which means plant. This means that epiphyte means upon plant.
What charge does the surface of soil particles have and why?
They are negatively charged so positive ions can adhere to these particles.
What organic compound makes up most of the plant's dry mass?
Carbohydrates.
Plants acquire nitrogen mainly from what?
Nitrates.
Ectomycorrhizae mainly make symbiotic relationships with what plants? Give 3 examples.
Ectomycorrhizae mainly makes symbiotic relationships with woody plants. Examples: Spruce, oak, walnut, birch, willow, and eucalyptus families.
Why may a Dodder (an orange parasite) require a host plant?
Since a Dodder is orange, it does not have chloroplast and cannot photosynthesize. The Dodder much leech the energy from their host plant to continue living.
The capacity of soil to exchange cations is dependent on what?
The number of cation adhesion sites and a low pH.
What colour does a phosphate-deficient leaf turn?
Purple.
What iron containing proteins found in some root nodules bind reversely to oxygen.
Leghemoglobin
In endomycorrhizal fungal relationships, what acts as a food storage site for the fungus?
Fungal vesicles
Why are carnivorous plants able to grow in soil with less nutrients?
The carnivorous plants can grow in poor soil because they have their highly modified organs which trap prey and digest their prey. This "soup" is full of nutrients and it's absorbed by their internal glands.