Chapter 4: Terrestrial Environment

Question 0

How do you calculate leaf area index?

Answer 0

Area of leaf over ground area

Question 1

How much light reaches the forest floor?

Answer 1

1-5%

Question 2

Pigment that allows plant to detect shading

There are increased amounts in shaded plants

Answer 2

Phytochrome

Question 3

Why is soil important?

Answer 3

Medium for plant growth
Controls water levels
Decomposition and recycling
Important habitat

Question 4

Unconsolidated mineral and organic maggot over unweathered rock

Answer 4

Soil

Question 5

Destruction of rock material into smaller particles

Answer 5

Weathering

Question 6

What are types of weathering?

Answer 6

Mechanical

Chemical

Question 7

How is soil formed?

Answer 7

Parent material
Biotic factors
Climate
Topography
Time

Question 8

Type of soil formation

Undifferentiated material from which soil develops

Answer 8

Parent material

Question 9

Type of soil formation including the decomposition of organic matter and the ability of plant roots to hold soil in place

Answer 9

Biotic factors

Question 10

Type of soil formation
Temperature, precipitation, and wind
Maximized at warm and wet conditions

Answer 10

Climate

Question 11

Type of soil formation
Sloped causes more erosion
Soil affected by exposure to solar radiation and wind

Answer 11

Topography

Question 12

Type of soil formation

Well devolved soil between 2,000 and 20,000

Answer 12

Time

Question 13

Name the horizons from surface to deep

Answer 13

Organic
Topsoil
Subsoil
Rock fragments
Bedrock

Question 14

To wash out (in soil horizons)

In the E horizon of the topsoil

Answer 14

Elluviation

Question 15

To wash in; deposits (soil horizons)

In the subsoil

Answer 15

Illuviation

Question 16

Type of soil formation process
Humid environments
Heavy leaching of nutrients 
Characterized by iron oxides
Acidic soils

Answer 16

Laterization

Question 17

Type of soil formation
Water loss exceeds precipitation
Water taken up by plants 
Calcium carbonates build up
Deposition and build up of alkaline salts in subsoil 
B horizon looks white from calcium

Answer 17

Calcification

Question 18

Type of soil formation process
Dry climates and coastal regions from salt spray
Salt deposits near surface

Answer 18

Salinitization

Question 19

Type of soil formation
Coolly, moist climate
Acidic soil enhances leaching of cations (Fe & Al) from topsoil
Spodosols formed

Answer 19

Podzolization

Question 20

Type of soil formation process 
High rainfall or poor drainage 
Slow decomposition of organic matter
Accumulates in upper layers
Gleisol formed

Answer 20

Gleization

Question 21

More water than the pore space can hold and excess water drains freely from the soil

Answer 21

Saturated

Question 22

If water fills all of the pore spaces and is held there by capillary forces

Answer 22

Field capacity

Question 23

Water held between soil particles by capillary forces

Answer 23

Capillary water

Question 24

The amount of water retained by the soil between field capacity and wilting point

Answer 24

Available water capacity

Question 25

The total number of negatively charged sites, located on the edge of clay particles and soil organic matter
Negatively charges enable a soil to prevent leaching of positively charged nutrient cations

Answer 25

Cation exchange capacity

Question 26

What are the five soil formation processes?

Answer 26

Calcification
Laterization
Salinization
Podzolization
Gleization