4.2 Soil Formation & Erosion Flashcards
Plants: Anchor ____ of plants and provides _______, shelter, ______ for growth.
roots, water, nutrients
Water: Filters __________ + runoff by trapping ________ in pore spaces + plant _____. Clean water enters __________ + aquifers
rainwater, pollutants, roots, groundwater
Nutrient Recycling: home to _________ that break down dead ______ matter + return _______ to the soil
decomposers, organic, nutrients
Habitat: Provides _______ for org. like earthworms, _____, bacteria, moles, ____
habitat, fungi, slugs
What is Soil?
Mix of geologic (rock) and organic (living) components
Sand, Silt, Clay
What is Soil?
Humus: Main ________ part of soil (broken down ______ like leaves, dead _______, waste, etc.)
organic, biomass, animals
What is Soil?
Nutrients: __________ _________, _________
Water and Air
Living Organisms
Ammonium nitrates phosphates
Weathering
Breakdown of _____ into smaller pieces
Physical (wind, rain, freezing/______ of ice)
Biological (roots of trees _____ rocks)
Chemical (acid rain, ______ from moss/lichen)
rocks
thawing
crack
acids
Weathering of _____ = soil formation
Broken into _______ and _______ pieces
Carried away and deposited by _______
rocks
smaller
erosion
Erosion
Transport of ________ rock __________ by wind and rain
Carried to new _______ and deposited (deposition)
weathered, fragments
location
Soil Formation
From below
Weathering of _______ material produces smaller, and smaller _______ that make up geological/inorganic part of ____
parent, fragments, soil
Soil Formation
From above
Breakdown of organic matter adds _____ to soil
Erosion ______ soil particles from other areas, adding to ___
humus
deposits, soil
Effects on Soil Form
Parent material: Soil pH, _________ content
Topography: Steep slope = too much _______; more level ground = deposition
Climate: warmer = _____ breakdown of organic matter more ________ = more _______, erosion + deposition
Organisms: Soil organisms like _______, fungi, worms breakdown organic matter
Nutrient
erosions
faster
precipitation
weathering
bacteria
O-Horizon: Layer of _____ matter (plant roots, dead leaves, animal waste, etc) on ___ of soil
organic
top
A-Horizon: aka topsoil; layer of humus (__________ organic matter) and minerals from ______ material
decomposed
parent
A-Horizon has most ________ activity (earthworms, soil microbes) breaking down organic matter to _______ nutrients
biological
release
B-Horizon: aka _______; lighter layer below topsoil, mostly made of ______ w/little to no org. matter
-Contains some nutrients
subsoil
minerals
C-Horizon: Least _______ soil that is closet to the parent material, sometimes called ________
weathered
bedrock
Loss of Topsoil: tiling (turning soil for ________) + loss of __________ disturb soil and make it more easily _______ by wind and rain
Loss of top soil dries out soil, removes _______ + soil organisms that ______ nutrients
agriculture, vegetation, eroded
nutrients, recycle
Compaction: Compression of soil by machies (tractors, bulldozers, etc.) _______ livestock, and humans reduces ability to ___ moisture
Dry soil _______ more easily
Dry soil ________ less plant growth, less root ________, leading to more ________
grazing, hold
erodes
supports, structure, erosion
Soil Degradation
the loss of the ability of soil to support plant growth
Nutrient Depletion: ________ growing crops on the same soil __________ key nutrients over time
Reduces ability to ____ future crops
Repeatedly, removes
grow
