Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Soil carbon storage is an important function of terrestrial ecosystems. Soil contains more carbon than plants and the atmosphere combined. [1] Understanding what maintains the soil carbon pool is important to understand the current distribution of carbon on Earth, and how it will respond to environmental change.
Soil provides raw materials for human use and impacts human health directly. The composition of human food reflects the nature of the soil in which it was grown. An example of soil as a source of raw material can be found in ancient ceramic production. The Maya ceramics showed traits inherited from soils and sediments used as raw material. [8]
These properties are storativity (S), specific storage (S s) and specific yield (S y). According to Groundwater, by Freeze and Cherry (1979), specific storage, [m −1], of a saturated aquifer is defined as the volume of water that a unit volume of the aquifer releases from storage under a unit decline in hydraulic head. [1]
Air is vital for respiration in soil organisms and in plant growth. [13] Both wind and atmospheric pressure play critical roles in soil aeration. [14] In addition, convection and diffusion also influence the rates of soil aeration [13] Soil structure refers to the size, shape and arrangement of solid particles in soil.
Soil also has carbon sequestration abilities where carbon dioxide is fixed in the soil by plant uptakes. [17] This accounts for the majority of the soil organic matter (SOM) in the ground, and creates a large storage pool (around 1500 Pg) for carbon in just the first few meters of soil and 20-40% of that organic carbon has a residence life ...
Soil biology plays a vital role in determining many soil characteristics. The decomposition of organic matter by soil organisms has an immense influence on soil fertility, plant growth, soil structure, and carbon storage. As a relatively new science, much remains unknown about soil biology and its effect on soil ecosystems.
The root microbiome (also called rhizosphere microbiome) is the dynamic community of microorganisms associated with plant roots. [1] Because they are rich in a variety of carbon compounds, plant roots provide unique environments for a diverse assemblage of soil microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and archaea.
Soils with these unique properties are called hydric soils, and although they may occupy a relatively small portion of the landscape, they maintain important soil functions in the environment. [1] The plants found in hydric soils often have aerenchyma, internal spaces in stems and rhizomes, that allow atmospheric oxygen to be transported to the ...