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Question
How do you distinguish between humification and mineralisation?
Solution
Humification | Mineralisation |
Humification leads to the accumulation of a dark-coloured amorphous substance called humus that is highly resistant to microbial action and undergoes decomposition at an extremely slow rate. | Being colloidal in nature it serves as a reservoir of nutrients. The humus is further degraded by some microbes and release of inorganic nutrients occur by the process known as mineralisation. |
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