A4 Self check

Question 1

Self-Check A4-1 1.

What is a soil profile?

Answer 1

A soil profile is a vertical slice of the soil exposing all of its horizons.

Analysis of the characteristics of a soil profile allows the soil to be classified.

Question 2

2. What are two of the more obvious soil characteristics that change as you move from one soil horizon to the next?

Answer 2

Structure and colour are two obvious characteristics that change as you move from one horizon to the next.

Question 3

3. What is the purpose of attaching suffixes to master soil horizons?

Answer 3

Suffixes attached to a Master soil horizon give a more specific description of the horizon’s characteristics.

Question 4

4. Describe three ways in which soil profiles from grassland and forested soils differ.

Answer 4

Three differences between the surface horizons of grassland and forested soils:

1. Organic matter is distributed deep into the A horizon of a grassland but lies mainly at the surface of a forested soil.
2. the mineral surface horizon of a grassland is much more fertile than the forested soil.
3. pH of the surface horizon in a grassland soil is usually neutral or alkaline whereas a forested soil is acidic

Question 5

5. Write in the appropriate soil orders to match the descriptions given.

• develop in low lying areas, found in several soil zones �����
• form under forested vegetation; have a leached A horizon �����
• “hardpan soils” that develop in parent materials with high levels of sodium �����
• grassland soils with dark topsoils rich in organic matter

Answer 5

1. Gleysolic
2. Luvisolic
3. Solonetzic
4. Chernozemic