Aeration, Biology

Assignment Help:

Aeration

A well-aerated soil is one in which gases are available to plant roots and other soil organisms, in sufficient quantities and in proper proportions to support their normal respiratory activities. It is important that oxygen which is necessary for soil biota is continuously renewed to support metabolic activities.

A soil which is considered well aerated must have the following two characteristics. First, sufficient space for air movement should be present. Second, there must be ample opportunity for the ready movement of gases into and out of the soil. Soil aeration is an important factor having far reaching influence on the metabolic activity of plant roots and other soil organisms. Continuous supply of oxygen in the soil is necessary to sustain soil organisms.

One of the most apparent effects of poor soil aeration is the reduction in the rate of organic matter decomposition, which you might recall is an essential process to maintain soil fertility. The reduced rate of break down of organic matter is due to the lack of oxygen rather than from the built up of carbon dioxide. Accumulation of organic matter in swampy areas shows that the lack of oxygen retards the decomposition of organic matter.

Aerobic soil organisms are unable to survive in the absence of gaseous oxygen. For example, bacteria that are responsible for the oxidation of nitrogen and sulphur are relatively ineffective in poorly aerated soils. This is also true for the symbiotic nitrogen fixers and some of the free living nitrogen fixers such as azotobacter.

Higher plants are also adversely affected by poor soil aeration because the root growth is curtailed; nutrient and water absorption is adversely affected; and certain toxic elements accumulate in poorly aerated soils.


Related Discussions:- Aeration

Drawbacks of lamellar model, Drawbacks of Lamellar model This model ...

Drawbacks of Lamellar model This model does not explain the elasticity of PM. Although this model says that PM is elastic but it also states that head of lipid molecules is

Genetics and molecular biology into the darwinism, How does the synthetic t...

How does the synthetic theory of evolution incorporate knowledge from Genetics and Molecular Biology into the darwinism? Today it is known as that variation of inherited charac

Brain, why left brain controls right side of the body and right brain contr...

why left brain controls right side of the body and right brain controls left side of the body....?????

Shell - body form protozoans, Shell - body form Protozoans Majority of...

Shell - body form Protozoans Majority of protozoans posses an exoskeleton in the form of a shell, also called test. The shell forms a loose covering around the body of the ani

Microbiology, Assume that after washing your hands, you leave ten bacteria ...

Assume that after washing your hands, you leave ten bacteria cells on a new bar of soap. You then decide to do a plate count of the soap after it was left in the soap dish for 24 h

Platyhelminthes - nervous systems, Platyhelminthes - Nervous Systems A...

Platyhelminthes - Nervous Systems Among Platyhelminthes, you will observe that turbellarians have a brain and three to five pairs of longitudinal nerve cords extending from th

How are antivenoms produced, Q. How are antivenoms produced? Why are antive...

Q. How are antivenoms produced? Why are antivenoms an example of passive immunization? Antivenoms are obtained by the following process: the venom (antigen) is inoculated into

Explain nutrition assessment, Nutrition Assessment The nutritional care...

Nutrition Assessment The nutritional care process, you would realize, begins with nutritional assessment. Nutrition  assessment  is  the  evaluation  of  an individual's nutrit

Why is it not correct to assert that dna self-replicates, Why is it not cor...

Why is it not correct to assert that DNA self-replicates? DNA is not completely autonomous in its duplication process because the replication does not happen without enzymatic

Explain the dna hybridisation, Explain the DNA Hybridisation? This tech...

Explain the DNA Hybridisation? This technique is used to study or compare the genetic affinity between two organism. In such studies the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of both org

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd