Organisms are nutrient deficient when they can t uptake minerals in proportions that body growth and maintenance require. Lets take a look at an example of how water and elements required by plants may differ from that supplied in the ecosystem. Conversely, magnesium is supplied at such a high rate relative to plant demand, that the plant could make 93 Mg of biomass if other nutrients weren t limiting. 9 Growth of species 2 in this example is limited by water. Be ready to link what is in this study guide to these issues.
Species differ in their resource requirements.
Nutrients that are rare in nature but necessary for life must be conserved. Organisms will be more fit if they evolve strategies to better utilize limited nutrients and water. Element ratios control certain ecosystem properties. Let s take a brief introductory look at the abundance of elements in the environment to see why certain elements are more limiting than others. The atmosphere is dominated by a few gases that include three that are essential to all life.