1.0-1.10 Flashcards
The quality of soil determines…
capacity of land to support plants, animals and society
What are the 6 key roles of soil?
1.support plant growth
2.recycles nutrients and waste
3modifies atmosphere
4.habitat for organisms
5.used for building
6.water supply purification
PRAHBW
What do plants gain from soil
physical support, water, protection from toxins, air, temperature moderation, nutrient elements
SWATTN
How does soil provide physical support to plant
anchors it to the ground to stop it from falling over
Ventilation in soil
accomplished via soil pores and maintains quality and quantity of air by allowing CO2 to escape and oxygen to enter root zone
How can plants survive long periods without water
Through soil pores, they absorb and hold water where its later used by roots
How does soil moderate temp. fluctuations
soil has insulating properties that protect the deeper portion of root system from extreme hot or cold
so the top of soil can be hot, but lower down the soil temp can be lower
phytotoxic substances
chemicals that are toxic to plants
fertile soil will provide a supply of…
dissolved mineral nutrients in amounts appropriate for plant growth
in a world without recycling actions of soil…
plants and animals would have run out of nutrients
How can soil help mitigate climate change?
some soils can accumulate large amounts of carbon as soil organic matter
soil absorbswhat gases
oxygen and other gases like methane
soil releases
carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide
what can happen in dry soil areas?
soil particles can be picked up by winds and contribute to dust in atmosphere.
What does the composition of our food depend on?
the health of the soil it was grown on
where do many medicines come from?
soil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
many antibiotics are sourced from
soil
What is the critical zone
outer layers of the planet where life, air, water and rocks interact
Book def: tops of tallest trees and bottom of groundwater
lithosphere
world of rock
atmosphere
air
hydrosphere
water
living things
biosphere
pedosphere
soil
What is the difference between” a soil” and “soils”
soil as a material and soilsas all the different kinds
Regolith
crumbled rock on top of unweathered rock
saprolite
soft decomposed rock
soil pits are used for
to study soil
Soil profile
showing the horizons
horizon
a distinct layer of soil
what is parent material
the deepest layers of soil which have been changed the least
O horizons
organic top layers of soil
weathering
process of rocks, minerals, soils breaking down at earths surface
A horizons
layers nearest the surface dominated by mineral particles
B horizons
underlying layer with accumulated materials
C horizon
parent material, the least weathered part of soil
E horizon
below a horizon and above B
strongly leached
leached
downward movement of dissolved plant nutrients
What are the 3 phases of soil
Air, water, mineral
In the 3 phases, what counts as soil solids
organic and mineral
In the 3 phases of soil what makes up pore space
air and water, which are inversely proportional
Voids
space or gap between soil particles
what things happen in the voids
fluid flow (diffusion),
root and microbial growth,
weathering,
chemical reactions, uptake of nutrients
state factors of soil formation formula
s=f(cl,o,r,p,t)
what does the s stand for in the s=f(cl,o,r,p,t) formula?
soil properties
what does the f mean in s=f(cl,o,r,p,t)
function of
what does the cl mean in s=f(cl,o,r,p,t)
climate
what does the o mean in s=f(cl,o,r,p,t)
organisms
what does the r mean in s=f(cl,o,r,p,t)
relief, topography (arrangement of features in an area)
what does the p mean in s=f(cl,o,r,p,t)
parent material
what does the t mean in s=f(cl,o,r,p,t)
time
what does topo sequence refer to
what part are you in the hill slope
The top of a hill is called the…
summit
