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Chapter 30.1. Plant Nutrients and Availability in Soil. AP Biology Spring 2011. The Required Nutrients. Sixteen essential elements are required for plant growth and survival Macronutrients: used in significant quantities Nine elements C, H, O, N, K, Ca, Mg, P, S
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Chapter 30.1 Plant Nutrients and Availability in Soil AP Biology Spring 2011
The Required Nutrients • Sixteen essential elements are required for plant growth and survival • Macronutrients: used in significant quantities • Nine elements • C, H, O, N, K, Ca, Mg, P, S • Micronutrients: used in trace quantities • Seven elements • Cl, Fe, B, Mn, Z, Cu, Mb
The Required Nutrients • Deficiencies in any nutrient can visibly impact a plants health
Properties of Soil • Soil consists of particles of minerals mixed with humus • Humus: dead organisms and their litter • Particles come in 3 sizes: • Sand • Silt • Clay
Properties of Soil • Clay: the smallest, holds onto nutrients as water percolates through the soil • Loams: soils with nearly equal proportions of the three particle types • Plants do best in loams
Properties of Soil • Layers of soil can be classified by profile properties • Topsoil's: the uppermost, is he most essential layer for plant growth
Leaching and Erosion • Leaching: removal of some nutrients from soil as water percolates through it • Erosion: movement of land under the force of wind, running water, and ice • The loss of topsoil can have a huge economic impact due to inability to grow crops