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Question
Write the different steps taken in humification and mineralisation during the process of decomposition.
Solution
Dead plant remains such as leaves, bark, flowers and dead remains of animals, including fecal matter, constitute detritus, which is the raw material for decomposition. Humification and mineralization occur during decomposition in the soil. Humification leads to 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 know as mineralisation.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Common detritivores in our ecosystem are _________.
The major reservoir of carbon on earth is _________.
The process of mineralization by microorganism helps in the release of ______.
Decomposition is slow detritus is rich in ______.
The process of mineralisation by micro organisms helps in the release of ______.
What is common to earthworm, mushroom, soil mites and dung beetle in an ecosystem?
What could be the reason for the faster rate of decomposition in the tropics?
How do you distinguish between humification and mineralisation?
A farmer harvests his crop and expresses his harvest in three different ways.
- I have harvested 10 quintals of wheat.
- I have harvested 10 quintals of wheat today in one acre of land.
- I have harvested 10 quintals of wheat in one acre of land, 6 months after sowing.
Do the above statements mean one and the same thing. If your answer is yes, give reasons. And if your answer is ‘no’ explain the meaning of each expression.
Assertion (A): Decomposition process is slower if detritus is rich in lignin and cutin.
Reason (R): Decomposition is largely an oxygen requiring process.
