HUMUS

hyooˈməs, organic matter that has decayed to a relatively stable, amorphous state. It is an important biological constituent of fertile soil. Humus is formed by the decomposing action of soil microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and fungi), which break down animal and vegetable material into elements that can be used by growing plants. Technically, humus, as the end result of this process, is less valuable for plant growth than are the products formed during active decomposition (see fertilizer). Because of its low specific weight and high surface area, humus has a profound effect upon the physical properties of mineral soils with regard to improved soil structure, water intake and reservoir capacity, ability to resist erosion, and the ability to hold chemical elements in a form readily accessible to plants.

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The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.

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Questia Books and Articles on: Humus
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books on: Humus  - 1386 results

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1.
Darwin on Humus and the Earthworm: The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms with Observations on Their Habits
Book by Charles Darwin; D. Appleton & Company, 1886
Subjects: Earthworms, Humus, Soils
...depth of 5 or 6, or even more feet, some small amount of the humus-acids will be carried far down, and will there act on the...underlying rocks and of the more deeply seated particles. For the humus-acids which are generated chiefly in the upper layer of vegetable...
2.
Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopedia - Vol. 1
Book by Volodymyr E. KubijovyČ; University of Toronto Press, 1963
Subjects: Ukraine--Dictionaries And Encyclopedias
...forest-steppe regions : 0-24 in., a humus layer of dark gray color, contains 6-12 per cent humus; 24-71 in., a transitional layer of...Chernozem of the prairie : 0-16 in., a humus layer of dark gray color, containing 7...
3.
Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment
Book by Paul R. Ehrlich, Anne H. Ehrlich, John P. Holdren; W. H. Freeman, 1977
Subjects: Human Ecology, Pollution, Population
Humus, the organic matter in soil, is a poorly...tied up in the large organic molecules of humus, which are derived from such varied sources...skeletons, and animal manure. The presence of humus makes the soil a favorable medium for the...
4.
Vegetation and Soils: A World Picture
Book by S. R. Eyre; Aldine Pub. Co., 1963
Subjects: Phytogeography, Plant ecology, Soils
to return. The humus they yield is thus poor in minerals and acid in reaction and is referred to as raw humus or mor . Although it is customary to divide humus into these two categories, it must be realised that...
5.
German-English Science Dictionary: For Students in the Agricultural, Biological and Physical Sciences
Book by Louis De Vries; McGraw-Hill, 1939
Subjects: German Language--Dictionaries--English, Science--Dictionaries
...by bumblebee. Hummer, m. lobster. humos, humic. humpeln, to hobble, limp. Humus, m. humus, vegetable mold; -anzeiger, m. plant which requires humus; -bewohner, m. plant growing on humus soil; -bildung, f. humus formation...
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journal articles on: Humus  - 168 results

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1.
Stratigraphy and Chronology in the 1971-1977 Ohio Historical Society Field Data
Journal article by N'Omi B. Greber; Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, MCJA, Vol. 34, 2009
...mounds. The source of the "undisturbed humus" layer shown on several profiles is not...volume). North of Feature 2, a "dark humus" layer overlays a lower stratum labeled...varying lengths of a "non-disturbed humus" layer occur over the gravel layer on...
2.
Slavery, Cimarronaje, and Poetic Refuge in Nancy Morejón1
Journal article by Marilyn Miller; Afro - Hispanic Review, Vol. 24, 2005
Subjects: Cuba, Latin American history, Literary criticism, Morejon, Nancy, Poetry, Revolutions
...Master"), as well as lesser-known works such as "Humus inmemorial," ("Humus Immemorial") and "Madrigal para cimarrones...of Cuban History At least two poems by Morejon, "Humus inmemorial" ("Humus Immemorial") and "Botella...
3.
Assessment of Vegetation Performance on Semicoke Dumps of Kohtla-Jarve Oil Shale Industry, Estonia/Kohtla-Jarve Poolkoksimagede Taimkatte Seisund
Journal article by Riina Vaht, Margus Pensa, Mait Sepp, Aarne Luud, Helen Karu, Tiina Elvisto; Estonian Journal of Ecology, Vol. 59, 2010
Subjects: Oil shales--Environmental aspects, Oil shales--Production data, Oil-shales--Environmental aspects, Oil-shales--Production data, Petroleum industry--Environmental aspects, Petroleum industry--Production data
...horizons: litter, fermentation, and humus) was assessed in triplicates on each plot...other understory species. There was no humus layer in the young B. pendula and P. balsamifera stands. An up to 2-cm-thick humus layer with leaf mould had developed in...
4.
Mississippian Status in Western Kentucky: Evidence from the Annis Mound
Journal article by Scott W. Hammerstedt; Southeastern Archaeology, Vol. 24, 2005
Subjects: Historic documents, Mosques & temples, Political economy
...mound was excavated down to the underlying humus and was later rebuilt to its original dimensions...four discrete layers: the underlying Old Humus layer, the Sub-Primary mound, the Primary...reached a maximum height of 0.7 m above the humus layer. The next level, the Primary mound...
5.
Middle Woodland Hopewellian Cache Blades: Blanks or Finished Tools?
Journal article by Mark A. McConaughy; Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, MCJA, Vol. 30, 2005
...the then existing ground surface since a humus zone or A-horizon is present under it...Unit 2 was built on top of the A-horizon humus zone. However, Carpenter (1949:189...that was thought to represent the original humus line." Examination of a profile photograph...
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magazine articles on: Humus  - 103 results

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1.
The Soil Bank
Magazine article; Whole Earth, Spring 1999
Subjects: Soils--Environmental aspects
...spores that insure yearly production. The Humus Fund accrues interest as soil organic matter...chip stock of the soil bank. The more humus, the better the water balance, and the...and layered clays, sands, silts, and humus. Its pipelines of pore spaces schedule...
2.
Against the Grain: President Obama Wants Us to Support Ethanol. How about We Do Something Better for the American Farmer?
Magazine article by Heather Rogers; Washington Monthly, Vol. 42, November 2010
Subjects: Agricultural industry--Government finance, Biomass energy--Environmental aspects, Environmental activists--Beliefs, opinions and attitudes, Environmentalists--Beliefs, opinions and attitudes, Ethanol fuels--Environmental aspects, Obama, Barack--Energy policy
...slowly decomposing organic material known as humus. What some farmers dont know, along with most city folk, is that building humus in the soil also sequesters immense amounts...to reduce by other means. Whats more, humus is enormously beneficial to plant life...
3.
The Soil's Breath
Magazine article; Natural History, Vol. 103, November 1994
Subjects: Atmosphere, Carbon, Soils
...decomposed, jettisoned tissues of life, called humus, are interwoven into the variegated quilt...organisms, gases, and water. The carbon in humus is what makes soil dark, crumbly, and spongy. Humus, too, gives soil its luscious "earth...
4.
The Scoop on Dirt: Why We Should All Worship the Ground We Walk On
Magazine article by Tamsyn Jones; E, Vol. 17, September 2006
Subjects: Soil biology--Environmental aspects, Soils--Environmental aspects, Soils--Forecasts and trends
...organisms, it forms the material known as humus--an extremely rich component of soil...dark chocolate. Hepperly explains that humus is saturated with carbon. "Carbon is...and compaction, theres excess air, and humus breaks from long chains of carbon into...
5.
Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop
Magazine article by Danny Hoch; American Theatre, Vol. 15, July 1998
Subjects: Drama
...say youre from Palestine, Dave, and you eat humus. Aight? Lets just say. Lets say, Im from...the sudden...Boom. I dont recognize your humus, Dave. You know? I never seen your humus before. Matter fact, your humus is...it...
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newspaper articles on: Humus  - 306 results

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1.
SHOWING A DRY SENSE OF HUMUS; Chelsea Plot Is a Scorcher
Newspaper article by Pippa Greenwood; The Mirror (London, England), May 10, 1997
SHOWING A DRY SENSE OF HUMUS; Chelsea Plot Is a Scorcher. by Pippa Greenwood The highlight of the horticultural world, the 1997 Chelsea Flower Show, is...
2.
Green Manure Boosts Garden Potential
Newspaper article; The Chronicle (Toowoomba, Australia), May 9, 2009
...learnt that the "building block" of good soil is humus. The term humus refers to any organic matter that has decomposed to a point of stability, and once made, humus can remain stable in the soil for thousands of years...
3.
Composting Puts Life into Action; Microorganisms Break Down Matter, and Plants' Nutrients Re-enter Earth
Newspaper article; The Washington Times, November 6, 2006
...down the components of the compost into humus, a dark, earthy organic material he will...protozoa, digest yard and kitchen waste into humus, joined by earthworms and insects when...earthy smell, Mr. Nardozzi says. This humus can be used to make "compost tea" by...
4.
Plumb the Mysteries of Drains
Newspaper article; The Journal (Newcastle, England), November 19, 2005
...that was completely treated, odourless and rich in humus. As a surveyor looking for where the septic tank might...technique to aerate the waste and reduce it to stable humus. This humus is capable of not just being spread on the land but...
5.
Bin of Redworms Can Create 'Gold' for Garden
Newspaper article; Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), September 10, 2006
...and converting it to rich and nutritious humus for plants. This is not just any compost...worms from the remaining nutrient-rich humus, or castings. The "Mesh Bag Lure Method...harvest Now the time has come to use the rich humus, virtual gold for the garden, which the...
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encyclopedia articles on: Humus  - 16 results

       More encyclopedia Results: 1-10 11-16 >>  
 
1.
Humus
Encyclopedia article; The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2009
HUMUS hyoo m s, organic matter that has decayed...biological constituent of fertile soil . Humus is formed by the decomposing action of soil...be used by growing plants. Technically, humus, as the end result of this process, is...
2.
Ecology
Encyclopedia article; The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2009
...Thus, on a lakefront, grass may invade a build-up of sand. Humus formed by the grass then gives root to oaks and pines and lesser...vegetation, which displaces the grass and forms a further altered humus. That soil eventually nourishes maple and beech trees, which...
3.
Soil
Encyclopedia article; The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2009
...fine rock material disintegrated by geological processes; and humus , the organic remains of decomposed vegetation. In agriculture...profile. The A horizon, the surface layer, contains most of the humus. The B horizon contains inorganic compounds formed by decomposition...
4.
Waksman, Selman Abraham
Encyclopedia article; The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2009
...organic matter by microorganisms, of the origin and nature of humus, and of the production of substances detrimental to certain...The Soil and the Microbe (with R. L. Starkey, 1931); Humus (1936); Microbial Antagonisms and Antibiotic Substances...
5.
Liebig, Justus, Baron Von
Encyclopedia article; The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2009
...valuable contributions to agricultural chemistry. Liebig refuted the prevalent theory that plants derive their nourishment from humus and emphasized the importance to plants of the nitrogen and carbon dioxide of the air and of the mineral constituents of the...
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