Title | Maintaining soil processes for plant productivity and community dynamics |
Publication Type | Conference Proceedings |
Year of Publication | 1996 |
Authors | Whitford WG, Herrick JE |
Conference Name | Proceedings of the Vth International Rangeland Congress |
Volume | II |
Pagination | 33-37 |
Date Published | 1996 |
Accession Number | JRN00210 |
Keywords | community dynamics, plant productivity, soil processes |
Abstract | Rangeland soil biota affect soil properties and processes that control the availability of water and nutrients that are essential for the maintenance of productivity and vegetation composition. oil processes mediated by soil biota include decomposition, nutrient immobilization and mineralization, storage and release of water and nutrients, nitrogen fixation and denitrification, production of plant growth factors and nutrient uptake by mycorrhizae. oil biotic processes control aggregate creation and maintenance, soil macropore formation, and spatial-temporal patterns of soil organic matter and nutrients. |