SOIL STRUCTURE AND FERTILITY RESULT FROM A DYNAMIC INTERPLAY OF PROCESSES
FIGURE 7.9 Avenues of soil nutrient loss oppose several sources of nutrient addition. Soil nutrients taken up by plant roots and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are incorporated into plant tissues during photosynthesis. Then as plant litter and other organic matter decompose (e.g., fallen leaves, dead roots, or shed bark), carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere and soil nutrients are returned to the soil.