Lecture 16 Flashcards
What bacteria are found in soil?
proteobacteria dominate, acidobacteria, actinobacteria
Rhizosphere
volume of soil around plant roots influenced by materials released from roots. zone of chemical, biological, and physical influence generated by root growth and activity
Rhizoplane
surface of root, including soil particles
Mycorrhizal symbiosis
fungal symbiosis helps plants acquire phosphate and nitrogen from the soil
Rhizobial symbiosis
Bacterial symbiosis helps plants acquire nitrogen from the atmosphere
Lineages of proteobacterium
gram -, alphaproteobacterium, betaproteobacterium, gammaproteobacterium, deltaproteobacterium, epsilonproteobacterium
Class alphaproteobacteria
7 orders, 20 families, gram -, live in environments typically low in nutrients (oligotrophic), most abundant bacteria in oceans
Rhizobia
microbial genera able to form nitrogen fixing nodules with legumes, free in soil but cannot fix nitrogen under aerobic conditions
Atmosphere composition (nitrogen fixation)
nitrogen (most abundant), nitrogen fixation = conversion of N2 in ammonia, carried out by only some soil bacteria
Legume-rhizobia symbiosis
nitrogen is limiting in some soils
1. rhizophere communication - legume <> rhizobia
2. Endosymbiosis - rhizobia enter inside plant cells
3. Legumes: fabales (fabaceae) inhabit nitrogen poor soils
Biological nitrogen fixation - fossil fuel free
- rhizobia contain nitrogenase, fixation of N2 demanding, inhibited by oxygen, free rhizobia do not fix N in soil, nodules provide microaerobic environment
Global nitrogen fertilizer production (Haber)
N2 + 3H2 <> 2NH3
2% of global ff comsumption, sustains 1/3 of global pop. 1/2 nitrogen in human body from N fertilizer
Nitrogen fertilizer run off
20% of N is lost as run off in lakes + rivers, eutrophication leads to oxygen depletion
Flavonoids
Secreted by legume roots into the soil when nitrogen levels are low
Nodulation factor
produced by rhizobia to gain entry into legume roots (LCO)