37 Chapter Flashcards
Basic physical properties of soil:
Texture
Composition
Different-sized particles of soil arise ultimately from the weathering of rock.
True
Soil particle sizes:
Coarse sand (biggest)
Silt
Microscopic clay particles (smallest)
Humus
The remains of dead organisms and other organic matter.
Topsoil
A mixture of particles derived from rock, living organisms, and humus.
Soil horizons
Soil layers
Soil solution
The water and dissolved minerals in the pores between soil particles.
Loams
Are composed of roughly equal amounts of sand, silt, and clay. Is the topsoil that is most fertile.
Loamy souls have enough small silt and clay particles to provide ample surface area for the adhesion and retention of minerals and water. Meanwhile, the large spaces between sand particles enable efficient diffusion of oxygen to the roots.
True
Inorganic material
Minerals
Leaching
The percolation of water through the soil.
Most soil particles are negatively charged.
True
Cation exchange
A process in which cations are displaced from soil particles by other cations, particularly H+
The more clay and organic matter in the soil, …
the higher the cation exchange capacity
The major organic component of topsoil is _______
humus
Fertilization makes soil a renewable resource.
True
Sustainable agriculture
Long-term productive farming methods that are environmentally safe.
Irrigation is a huge drain on freshwater resources.
True
Aquifers
Underground water reserves
Land subsidence
A gradual settling or sudden sinking of Earth’s surface.
Salinization
The addition of salts to the soil that make it too salty for cultivating plants.
-Product of irrigation
Drip irrigation
The slow release of water to soil and plants from perforated plastic tubing placed directly at the root zone.
Fertilization
The addition of mineral nutrients to the soil.
Fertilizers are usually enriched in…
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
Examples of organic fertilizers
Manure, fishmeal, and compost
Before plants can use organic material it must be decomposed into the inorganic nutrients that roots can absorb.
True
Soil pH is an important factor that influences mineral availability by its…
Effect on cation exchange and the chemical form of minerals.
Most plants prefer slightly acidic soil because the high H+ concentration can displace positively charged minerals from soil particles, making them more available for absorption.
True
No-till agriculture
Plowing technique used to reduce erosion.
Soil remediation
The detoxification of contaminated soils
Phytoremediation
A nondestructive biotechnology that harnesses the ability of some plants to extract soil pollutants and concentrate them in portions of the plant that can be easily removed for safe disposal.