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AP Environmental Science > Chapter 11-Soil: The Foundation for Land Ecosystems > Flashcards

Chapter 11-Soil: The Foundation for Land Ecosystems Flashcards

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0
Q

Rocks break down into smaller and smaller fragments; could be physical or chemical breakdown of rocks

A

Weathering

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1
Q

The mineral material of soil that has its origin in the geological history of an area; could be rock or sediment deposited by wind, water, or ice

A

Parent rock

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2
Q

Fragments of rocks (classified as sand, silt, and clay)

A

Soil separates

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3
Q

The relative proportions of each type of particle in a given soil (i.e. loam)

A

Soil texture

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4
Q

A proportion that is commonly found in soil (consists of 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay)

A

Loam

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5
Q

Made up of particles from 2.0 to 0.063 mm in size

A

Sand

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6
Q

Particles that range from 0.063 mm down to 0.004 mm

A

Silt

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7
Q

Anything finer than 0.004 mm

A

Clay

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8
Q

The ease with which a soil can be cultivated; affected by soil texture

A

Workability

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9
Q

The horizontal layers in soil profiles

A

Horizons

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10
Q

A vertical slice through the different horizons

A

Soil profile

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11
Q

Topmost layer that consists of dead organic matter (detritus) deposited by plants (leaves, stems, fruits, and seeds); high in organic content (humus); primary source of energy for the soil community

A

O Horizon

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12
Q

Topsoil (mixed humus and leached mineral soil); it is a mixture of mineral soil from below and humus from above; usually dark because of humus

A

A Horizon

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13
Q

The “E” stands for eluviation, which is the process of leaching; zone of leaching (less humus, minerals resistant to leaching)

A

E Horizon

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14
Q

The dissolving away of many minerals due to the downward movement of water; when nutrients are literally washes from the soil as water moves through it

A

Leaching

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15
Q

Subsoil (accumulation of leached minerals like iron and aluminum oxides); characterized by the deposition of minerals that have leached from the A and E horizons; often high in iron, aluminum, calcium, and other minerals; also high in clay and is reddish or yellow in color

A

B Horizon

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16
Q

Soil order, suborders, groups, subgroups, families, and soil class

A

Taxonomy of soils

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17
Q

The soils ability to support plant growth (farmers use the term tilth of the soil)

A

Soil fertility

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18
Q

Phosphate, potassium, calcium, and other ions

A

Mineral nutrients

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19
Q

The soil’s capacity to bind and hold nutrient ions until they are absorbed by roots

A

Nutrient-holding capacity/Ion-exchange capacity

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20
Q

Material that contains one or more of the necessary nutrients

A

Fertilizer

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21
Q

Includes plant or animal waste or both (i.e. manure and compost)

A

Organic fertilizer

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22
Q

Chemical formulations of required nutrients, without any organic matter included; more prone of leaching

A

Inorganic fertilizer

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23
Q

Water evaporates from stomata (pores) on the underside of the leaves

A

Transpiration

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24
Q

Essential to permit the entry of carbon dioxide and the exit of oxygen in photosynthesis

A

Stomata

25
Q

Results by inadequate water

A

Wilting

26
Q

Soak in

A

Infiltrate

27
Q

A property that land plants depend on the soil being loose and porous enough to allow the diffusion of oxygen into, and carbon dioxide out of the soil

A

Soil aeration

28
Q

The packing of the world which reduces infiltration and runoff; this occurs with excessive foot or vehicular traffic

A

Compaction

29
Q

The acidity or alkalinity (basicity) of any solution; scale=1-14; 7 is neutral pH

A

pH

30
Q

A buildup of salts in the soil (increases salinity) makes it impossible for the roots of a plant to take in water

A

Salt and water uptake

31
Q

Soils hold carbon from dead organisms; scientists estimate that soils hold as much as three times the amount of carbon held in the atmosphere and living plants

A

Soil and carbon storage

32
Q

Describes the size of soil particles

A

Soil texture

33
Q

The arrangement of soil particles; a loose soil structure is ideal for infiltration, aeration, and workability

A

Soil structure

34
Q

Excrements

A

Castings

35
Q

Partly decomposed organic matter; high capacity for holding water and nutrients; typically found in the O horizon

A

Humus

36
Q

The process of fostering the decay of organic wastes under more or less controlled conditions, and the resulting compost is essentially humus

A

Composting

37
Q

Certain fungi that form from a symbiotic relationship with the roots of some plants; draw some nourishment from the roots, but they penetrate the detritus, absorb nutrients, and transfer them directly to the plant

A

Mycorrhizae

38
Q

The loss of humus and the consequent collapse of topsoil

A

Mineralization of the soil

39
Q

The process of soil and humus particles being picked up and carried away by water or wind

A

Erosion

40
Q

The impact of falling raindrops breaks up the clumpy structure of topsoil

A

Splash erosion

41
Q

When running water carries off the fine particles on the soil surface

A

Sheet erosion

42
Q

When water converges into small rivulets and streams, which have greater volume, velocity, and energy to carry away large quantities of soil causing gullies

A

Gully erosion

43
Q

Process in which the soil loses its nutrient-holding and water-holding capacity causing the soil to be degraded

A

Desertification

44
Q

The removal of fine material by wind that has left a thin surface layer of stones and gravel, which protects the underlying soil against further erosion

A

Desert pavement

45
Q

Occurs when farmers till and plow their farms to control weeds and increase crop yields; this practice exposes the soil to the wind and rain, which causes erosion

A

Overcultivation

46
Q

Occurs when ranchers put large numbers of livestock such as cattle out to graze on arid grasslands

A

Overgrazing

47
Q

The forest is cut and the soil is left exposed to erosion

A

Deforestation

48
Q

Technique that minimizes soil erosion; farmers use special equipment to turn over the soil while covering it back up and planting new crops at the same time

A

No-till/low-till

49
Q

When crops are planted across slopes to slow down water erosion or in “stairs” to stop water erosion

A

Contour farming/terracing

50
Q

Technique of planting alternating rows of different crop types

A

Strip cropping

51
Q

When trees are planted in strips and the crops are grown between these strips of trees; the trees help to shelter the crops from the wind, and the roots of the trees help to hold the soil in place

A

Alley cropping

52
Q

When trees are planted around crops to help shelter them from the wind

A

Shelterbelts

53
Q

Provides information to farmers or other interested persons regarding soil or water conservation practices; established in response to the Dust Bowl (early 1930s)

A

U.S. National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

54
Q

Occur when eroded soil is carried into streams and rivers, causing flooding, killing fish, destroying wetlands, killing coral reefs, and carrying pollutants into the rivers

A

Sediments

55
Q

Supplying water to crop lands by artificial means which has dramatically increased crop production in regions that typically receive low rainfall

A

Irrigation

56
Q

A technique in which water is diverted from rivers through canals and flooded through furrows in fields

A

Flood irrigation

57
Q

A technique in which water is pumped from s central well through a gigantic sprinkler that slowly pivots itself around the well

A

Center-pivot irrigation

58
Q

The accumulation of salts in and on the soil to the point where plant growth is suppressed; in dry lands, it is considered a form of desertification, since it renders the land less productive or even useless

A

Salinization

59
Q

Below the B horizon which is the the parent mineral material originally occupying the site; weathered parent material (partly broken-down minerals); not affected by the biological and chemical processes that go on in the overlying layers

A

C horizon

60
Q

A network of plastic pipes with pinholes that literally drip water at the base of Each plant (reduces water use by 30 to 70% while increasing crop yields)

A

Drip irrigation

AP Environmental Science (8 decks)

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