plants

• soil pH and aeration

  plants are sensitive to change in pH, most plants grow best in neutral or slightly acidic soil
• soil pH and aeration

  pH range of most soils is between 4.5 and 7.5 although there are a few plants that grow better in more extreme conditions, in soils as acidic as pH 3 or as alkaline as pH 9
• aeration of soil is also important for healthy growth of plants
• oxygen is needed for plants to respire
• oxygen is needed for microorganisms to respire, as these are needed to decompose organic matter and for nitrification of soil
• oxygen is needed to help plants to absorb water and nutrients
• oxygen is needed to help prevent toxins forming in the soil
• oxygen is needed to help prevent plants from contracting diseases
• light intensity


  sunlight necessary for plants to be able to produce plant food by photosynthesis
• light intensity


  plants grow more quickly in summer when there is more sunlight, usually plants grow better in unshaded areas
• aeration

  introducing water into soil
• photosynthesis


  process by which plants make food, using carbon dioxide, water and energy from sunlight
• photosynthesis equation


  6CO2 + 6H2O - C6H12O6 + 6O2
• temperature


  some plants grow well in cooler climates, and others grow better in warmer climated
• extreme temperature can lead to lack of plant growth
• high temperatures can cause respiration to take place more quickly that photosynthesis, causing products of photosynthesis to be used for respiration
• low temperatures result in poor growth as photosynthesis is too slow at low temperatures, when temperatures fall below freezing, plant cells and tissues can be destoryed
• presence of water


  water is important to all living organisms on the planet, plants cannot survive without it
• presence of water


  moisture in air is absorbed by leaves of a plant for photosynthesis
• presence of water


  water is soil is taken up by roots, collects in leaves for photosynthesis
• presence of water


  water is important as it dissolves minerals in soil which can be taken up by roots to all parts of the plant
• presence of water

  if soils become water-logged this water can have adverse effect on some plants because it causes roots to rot, killing plant
• presence of water

  plants also lose water from their leaves by transpiration, so this water needs to be replaced
• presence of water


  different plants need varied amounts of water, in desert areas where there is very little rainfall, plants are adapted to store as much water as possible