August 2008 Life in the Soil Is the soil Alive? Original Power Point Created by Darrin Holle Modified by Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office June 2002

August 2008 Life in the Soil ¼ teaspoon of fertile soil contains –50 nematodes –52,000 algae –72000 amoebae –111,000 fungi –2,920,000 actinomycetes –25,280,000 bacteria

August 2008 Carbon Cycle A. All living things depend on photosynthesis B. Two events occur during photosynthesis –1. CO2 in the air is changed to Organic Carbon which is building block of living tissue

August 2008 Carbon Cycle B. –2. Photosynthesis converts sunlight energy to chemical energy stored in simple sugar

August 2008 Carbon Cycle C. Plants and Animals burn the sugar during respiration to reclaim energy. Higher animals use energy to keep warm, grow or be active D. Chlorophyll-containing plants carry on photosynthesis

August 2008 Carbon Cycle E. Plants are primary Producers –Animals that eat plants are Primary consumers –Animals of prey are secondary consumers –= food chain

August 2008 Carbon Cycle F. If the chain were only Producers and consumers the chain would collapse

August 2008 Carbon Cycle G. Decomposers –-Microorganisms that decompose dead plants and animals. During decay the carbon is changed back to CO2 and materials that resist decay = humus

August 2008 Microorganisms A. Bacteria –Simple one celled organisms –Mainly feed on dead organic matter

August 2008 Microorganisms B. Fungi –Resemble a mass of tangled threads called mycellium –Mushrooms are these but many are only seen with a microscope

August 2008 Microorganisms C. Actinomycetes –Mold bacteria –12 million found in 1 teaspoon –Many medicines are developed from these

August 2008 Microorganisms D. Algae –Soil algae are single celled –Have to be around water –Can photosynthesize