How are microorganisms important in nutrient availability and transformation in the soil and role of microorganisms in mineral transformation?
Microorganisms play critical roles in nutrient availability and transformation in soil ecosystems, influencing the cycling of essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and other micronutrients. Here's how microorganisms contribute to nutrient availability and transformation in soil:
Soil microbial metabolism boosts plant nutrition by converting recalcitrant forms of N, P, and S to forms that are more bioavailable for plant uptake. Beneficial microorganisms have been shown to play a role in atmospheric nitrogen fixation, organic wastes and residues decomposition, detoxification of pesticides, suppression of plant diseases and soil-borne pathogens, enhancement of nutrient cycling, and production of bioactive compounds such as vitamins, hormones. As microorganisms help break down organic matter, they release essential nutrients and carbon dioxide into the soil, fix nitrogen and help transform nutrients into mineral forms that plants can use through a process of mineralization. The beneficial interactions of these microbes with the plants include the nutrients supply to crops, plant growth stimulation, producing phytohormones, biocontrol of phytopathogens, improving soil structure, bioaccumulation of inorganic compounds, and bioremediation of metal-contaminated soils. Minerals provide energy and nutrients to support microbial growth and functions. Microbes affect dissolution, transformation and formation of minerals through metabolic activities. These interactions between minerals and microbes substantially determine the habitability of the Earth. Microorganisms are responsible for the degradation of organic matter, which controls the release of plant nutrients, but is also important for the maintenance of soil structure and sustainability of soil quality for plant growth. Soil microbes play an essential role in the environment by contributing to the release of key nutrients from primary minerals that are required not only for their own nutrition but also for that of plants. Microorganisms increase the source of nitrogen in the soil, or they can supply it directly to the plant, as they have the ability to take and set nitrogen from the atmosphere. Thanks to microorganisms, there is an increase in the bioavailability of phosphorus in the soil. The soil microbial population releases exoenzymes (1), which depolymerize the dead organic matter (2). The microbial decomposers assimilate the monomers (3) and either mineralize these into inorganic compounds like carbon dioxide or ammonium (4) or use the monomers for their biosynthetic needs. The conversion of the organic form of nitrogen into inorganic form by heterotrophic soil microorganisms are termed as nitrogen mineralization. In contrast, the transformation of readily available inorganic form into bound organic form is immobilization. Soil microorganisms, by actively participating in the decomposition and transformation of organic matter through diverse metabolic pathways, play a pivotal role in carbon cycling within soil systems and contribute to the stabilization of organic carbon, thereby influencing soil carbon storage and turnover.