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ESS Topic 5 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is soil

A

complex system,
made up of minerals, organic material, gases, liquid
habitat
all food dependent on it
holds water and mineral nutrients
acts as filter for water passing through
stores and transfers heat
part of lithosphere

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2
Q

pedosphere

A

soil sphere
bridge between biosphere and lithosphere and is influenced by atmosphere hydrosphere and lithosphere

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3
Q

Soil System storages

A

organic matter
organisms
nutrients
air
water

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4
Q

Soil System Inputs

A

organic material including leaf litter
inorganic matter from parent material, precipitation, and energy

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5
Q

Soil System outputs

A

uptake by plants and soil erosion

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6
Q

Soil System transfers

A

biological mixing,
translocation,
leaching

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7
Q

Soil System Transformations

A

decomposition,
weathering,
nutrient cycling

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8
Q

What is soil made of

A

mineral particles from underlying rock,
organic remains that have come from the plants and animals (humus),
water within spaces between soil grains,
air with soil grains

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9
Q

mineral particles from underlying rock

A

Constituents - insoluble (gravel, sand) and soluble (salts, nitrogen, compounds)
Function - provides skeleton of soil
- derived from underlying rock or rock particles transported to environment

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10
Q

how are soil horizons made

A

washes - profile modified over time as material leaves downwards then mineral materials move upwards sorting soil into horizons

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11
Q

Translocation

A

materials sorted and layers formed by water carrying particles wither up or down

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12
Q

effect on soil in hotter climates

A

when precipitation is less than evaporation
water evaporates at soil surface and moves from lower layers dissolving minerals and taking them to surface –> called salinisation

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13
Q

effect on soil in colder wetter climates

A

when precipitation is more than evaporation
water flows down in soil dissolving minerals and transporting them downwards
called leavhing

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14
Q

Horizon layers

A

O –> A –> E –> B —> C–> R

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15
Q

o Horizon

A

uppermost layer of newly added organic material - from dead organisms on top of soil broken down by decomposers

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16
Q

A Horizon

A

Upper layer where humus builds up

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17
Q

How does humus forms

A

from partially decomposed organic matter mixed with fine particles which is often incomplete forming a layer of humus

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18
Q

A horizon under normal conditions

A

organic matter decomposes rapidly through the decomposer food web releasing soluble minerals taken up by plant roots

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19
Q

A horizon when waterlogged

A

reduces number of soil organisms resulting in build-up of organic matter leading to formation of peat soils

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20
Q

B Horizon

A

soluble and organic matter deposited from layer above - clay and iron salts

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21
Q

C Horizon

A

mainly weathered rock from soil forms

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22
Q

R Horizon

A

Parent material - bedrock o other medium

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23
Q

do all soils have all horizons

A

no some only have two
sometimes layers can’t be distinguished
sometimes we can’t dig deep enough for C layer

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24
Q

Soil Structure

A

3 based on size
sand - largest
slit
clay - smallest

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25
Sandy soil
100% sand high mineral content low potential of organic matter very good drainage low water holding large air spaces low biota low PP
26
Permeability
ease at which gas and liquid can pass through
27
Clay Soil
70% clay high mineral content low potential of organic matter porr drainage very high water holding low biota quite low PP
28
Loam Soil
Intermediate mineral content intermediate potential of organic matter good drainage intermediate water holding intermediate air space high biota high PP
29
porosity of sandy soils
fewer micropores and smaller total space too large for waters adhesive properties to work so drain well
30
Fertile soil
has enough nutrients for healthy plant growth these can be leached out of soil or removed in crop harvest and have to be repleaced
31
very fine clay particles
micropores so.. high acidity large pore space low permeability - hard for plants to root
32
types of farming systems
subsistence - farming is provision of farmers for own families or local community (no surplus) cash cropping - growing crops for market commercial - takes place on large, profit-making scale maximising yields per hectare pastoral - raising animals on land not suitable for crops arable - growing crops on good soils to eat directly or feed to animals mixed - both crops & animals is a system in itself where animal waste is used to fertilise crops and improve soil structure - crops fed to animals
32
Subsistence Farming
mixed crops, human labour low inputs of energy - fossil fuels or chemicals low capital input and low technology used - no produce more than needed vulnerable to food shortages
33
how to replace nutrients in soil
chemical fertiliser, growing legumes, crop rotation, application of organic matter
34
Commercial Farming
often a monoculture high levels of technology energy and chemical input - high output extensive - more land lower density intensive - land intensively used
35
Factors determining sustainability of types of farming
agribusiness, scale of farming, industrialisation, mechanisation, fossil fuel use, seed/crop/livestock choices, water use, fertiliser & pest control, antibiotics, legislation, pollinators
36
Types of malnutrition
undernourishment - lack of nutrients over nourishment - too many calories, obesity, excessive unbalanced - wrong proportion of micro-nutrients
37
food resource sustainability reason
as populations increase --> global trade expands --> market choice develops = greater demand on food supplies/agribusiness
38
MEDCs food facts
cost of food relatively cheap purchase food out of choice seasonality mostly gone exotic food freely available food from all around world bought in supermarkets
39
reductions of soil fertility
harvesting - removes biomass and nutrients, minerals and water = impoverished soil
39
LEDCs food facts
struggle to produce enough food to sustain population political and economic agendas environmental limitations on food productions crops other than food can be grown as cash crops
39
Factors determining choice of food
climate cultural & religious political socio-economic
40
ways to fix acidity of soils
add lime irrigation crop rotation - leguminous crops
40
History of agriculture
animal domestication --> livestock --> growing crops --> fertilisers added --> harvesting --> crop rotation
41
arable farming
seeds of crop plants are deliberately sown into a soil cleared of natural vegetation seeds usually planted into bare soil previously conditioned by plowing conditions may be limiting monoculture
42
Terrestrial food production systems
food usually harvest at first or second trophic level - efficient use of solar energy have higher losses - skeletal waste (land based animals have more energy in their skeletons)
43
Aquatic food production systems
food comes from higher trophic levels therefore lower energy efficiency due to energy loss between trophic levels
44
factors contributing to decrease in agricultural land
soil erosion salinisation desertification urbanisation
45
How to increase sustainability of food supplies
maximise yield of food production systems reduce food waste by improving storage and distribution monitoring and control change our attitudes toward food and diets reduce food processing, packaging and transport
46
human activities leading to soil degredation
overgrazing deforestation unsustainable agriculture
47
Two processes causing soil degredation
erosion anthropogenic processes making soil less suitable for use
48
overcropping
depletes soil nutrients and makes soil friable reduces soil fertility - no nutrients returned to soil can become susceptible to erosion
48
overgrazing
occurs when too many animals graze in same area, leaves bare patches - roots no longer hold soil together, when combined with rain and wind bare patches increase and removes soil
49
deforestation
more vegetation is removed more soil becomes prone to erosion
50
unsustainable agricultural techniques
removal of crops after harvest growing crops in rows with uncovered soil in between plowing in direction of slope excessive use of pesticides irrigation monocultures
51
urbanisation
land in cities removed as sources of agricultural land increasing run-off (erodes elsewhere)
52
erosion processes
sheet wash gullying wind erosion
53
sheet wash
large areas of surface soil are washed away during heavy storm periods and in mountanious areas as landslides
54
gullying
channels develop on hillsides following rainfall - overtime become a lot deeper
55
how to conserve soil
addition of soil conditioners wind reduction soil conserving cultivation techniques improved irrigation techniques stop plowing marginal lands crop rotation
56
why soil acidification occurs
acid rain breakdown of organic matter removal of basic ions through leaching nitrification
57
wind reduction
plant trees between fields alternate low and high crops in adjancent fields build fences
58
soil conserving cultivation techniques
growing cover crops terracing plowing contour farming
59
Improved irrigation techniques
evaporation and salinisation greatly reduced trickle flow irrigation
60
contour farming
plowing and cultivating along contour lines - furrows and ridges act as small terraces trapping soil and water flowing downhill thus reducing erosion

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