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Shiro TSUYUZAKI
Plant community ecology / Environmental conservation

Mount Usu / Sarobetsu post-mined peatland
From left: Crater basin in 1986 and 2006. Cottongrass / Daylily

(Update on April 14 2010)

pH

pH

Potential hydrogen, or power of hydrogen

Definition

pH is defined as minus the decimal logarithm of the hydrogen ion activity in a solution. So, pH is a dimensionless quantity.

pH = -log10(aH+) = log10(1/aH+)

where aH is the activity of hydrogen ions.

Optimal pH for plants

pH that is best for plant growth

pHplants
5.0-5.5rice, oat, sweet potato, water melon, sunchoke, tea
5.5-6.5corn, buckwheat, tobacco, radish, lily, Japanese yam
5.5-7.0wheat, carrot, turnip, burdock, aroid, tomato, egg plant
6.0-7.5rye, soybean, azuki bean, green onion, white clover, sunflower
6.5-8.5barley, spinach, potato, astragalus, onion
References
  • Tu, M., Titus J.H., Tsuyuzaki, S. & del Moral, R. 1998. Composition and dynamics of wetland seed banks on Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA. Folia Geobotanica 33: 3-16

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