Basics of Microbial Ecology and Function in Urban Agriculture

Abstract

In this chapter, we will explore the following topics: Soil as a complex multiphasic habitat for growing crops The form and function of soils microbes The connection between soil microbes , soil fertility, and plant health

Glossary

Adsorption

 the adhesion of atoms, ions, or molecules from a gas, liquid, or dissolved solid to a surface

Archaea

 a domain of single-celled Prokaryote microorganisms

Assimilation

 the conversion of nutrients into biological mass

Bacteria

 a domain of single-celled Prokaryote microorganisms

Biogeochemical Cycles

 the pathway of a chemical substance as it moves through living and non-living components in an ecosystem

Compaction

 an increase in the solid density of a volume of soil and displacement of water and gas from soil pores

Decomposer

 organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms

Decomposition

 the biotic and abiotic process of decay

Detritus

 non-living biological materials

Ecosystem Service

 a benefit provided to humankind from the normal functioning of an ecosystem

Erosion

 the process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth’s surface

Excretion

 the act of eliminating biological waste from an organism

Fungi

 single or multicellular Euklaryotic organisms

Hyphae

 multicellular, thread-like filaments made of chitin

Mineral Nutrients

 chemical elements that are known to be important to a plant’s growth, which come from the soil , are dissolved in water , and absorbed through a plant’s roots

Multiphasic

 consisting of three states (solid, gas, liquid)

Mutualists

 a biological relationship in which both entities derive benefit

Mycelium

 vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching hyphae

Nitrogen (N)

 essential macronutrient needed by all plants for structural, genetic and metabolic compounds in plant cells. It is also one of the basic components of chlorophyll.

Non-Mineral Nutrients

 known to be important to a plant’s growth and derived from air and water

Overwatering

 the application of water in a manner that promotes anoxia and waterlogging

Pathogens

 an infectious agent that can produce disease

Phosphorus (P)

 macronutrient important for the construction of genetic materials, energy storage, and protein synthesis

Potassium (K)

 macronutrient important for protein synthesis and photosynthesis

Soil Microbes

 community of Bacteria , Archaea , and Fungi that lives belowground

Soil Nutrients

 mineral elements that are critical for successful plant production

Soil Water

 water held in soil pores

Tilling

 the breaking up and cultivating of soil for agricultural use