Biosphere Flashcards
Factors affecting soil
X8
-parent material
-vegetation
-living organisms
-temperature
-relief
-time
-human activity
-natural events
MULL HUMUS
Develops under deciduous woodland where plant remains are actively broken down
MODER HUMUS
Intermediate between mor and mull
MOR HUMUS
develops beneath coniferous woodland or heather moorland in wet conditions with no soil biota
Leaching
Solvable material is washed down from one horizon to the next
Capillary action
When moisture moves upwards in a soil (opposite of leaching)
Decomposition and humification
-breakdown of plant derived material into simpler parts by biota and organisms
-complete breakdown of plant remains leading to different types of humus
Weathering
-physical
-regular
-chemical
Breakdown and decomposition of rocks and minerals by factors including air, water, sun, frost.
Physical weathering is the breakdown of rocks into smaller ones
Chemical weathering involves alteration of the chemical composition of rock minerals
Translocation
Movement of mineral in solution or suspension from one horizon to another
-eluviation is the downward movement of material
-illuviation is the accumulation of material in one layer of soil which have been leached from a layer above
Podzol characteristics
X8
-high altitudes with cold climate
-coniferous trees
-steep slopes
-not deep or fertile
-leaching no capillary
-dark soil
-sandy in upper horizon dense clay in lower
-well defined horizons
Brown earth characteristics
X8
-south facing slopes
-gentle slopes
-o and A horizons thick and fertile
-leaching in autumn, capillary in summer
-black and gets lighter to brown further down
-o is thick a and b crumbly
-non distinct lots of biota
Gley characteristics
X8
-flat land, frozen conditions
-not much vegetation
-flat impermeable rock
-not deep, infertile
-little leaching in summer
-grey blue soil
-dense heavy clay like
-well defined horizons
