Microorganisms which live in soil are algae, bacteria, actinomycetes, bacteriophages, protozoa, nematodes and fungi (Fig. 30.2). A brief description of soil microorganisms has been given below: 1. Soil Algae: Soil algae (both prokaryotes and eukaryotes) luxuriantly grow where adequate amount of moisture and light are present. They play a variety of roles in soil. One of the important role of [...]
The organic constituents of plant that give structural topography generally contain six broad groups of constituents as given below: (i) Cellulose: Cellulose is the most abundant chemical constituent of a cell. It is a carbohydrate composed of glucose units linked by P-linkages at 1 and 4 carbon atoms of sugars. Total number of glucose units varies from 2000 to 10,000. [...]
In this article we will discuss about the factors that govern the rate of decomposition of organic matter. Also learn about the microorganisms that are associated with organic matter decomposition. (i) Litter Quality: Structural and chemical properties of litter make up its quality. However, it is less specific term reflecting decomposition rate. Dubey and Pandey (1996) have recorded the higher [...]