Immobilization (soil science)

Immobilization in soil science is the conversion of inorganic compounds to organic compounds by microorganisms or plants by which the compounds become inaccessible to plants.[1] Immobilization is the opposite of mineralization. In immobilization, inorganic nutrients are taken up by soil microbes and become unavailable for plant uptake.[2] Immobilization is therefore a biological process controlled by bacteria[3] that consume inorganic nitrogen and form amino acids and biological macromolecules (organic forms).[4] Immobilization and mineralization are continuous processes that occur concurrently whereby nitrogen of the decomposing system is steadily transformed from an inorganic to an organic state by immobilization and from an organic to an inorganic state by decay and mineralization.[5]

  1. ^ Principles and Practice of Soil Science, the soil as a natural resource (4th edition), R.E. White
  2. ^ "Immobilization". lawr.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  3. ^ Schimel, D. S. (1988-10-01). "Calculation of microbial growth efficiency from15N immobilization". Biogeochemistry. 6 (3): 239–243. doi:10.1007/BF02182998. ISSN 1573-515X. S2CID 94918307.
  4. ^ Batlle-Aguilar, J.; Brovelli, A.; Porporato, A.; Barry, D. A. (2011-04-01). "Modelling soil carbon and nitrogen cycles during land use change. A review" (PDF). Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 31 (2): 251–274. doi:10.1051/agro/2010007. ISSN 1773-0155. S2CID 25298197.
  5. ^ Kai, Hideaki; Ahmad, Ziauddin; Harada, Togoro (September 1969). "Factors affecting immobilization and release of nitrogen in soil and chemical characteristics of the nitrogen newly immobilized: I. Effect of Temperature on Immobilization and Release of Nitrogen in Soil". Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. 15 (5): 207–213. doi:10.1080/00380768.1969.10432803. ISSN 0038-0768.