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ESS > ESS Topic 5 > Flashcards

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
Q

Sandy soil

A

100% sand
high mineral content
low potential of organic matter
very good drainage
low water holding
large air spaces
low biota
low PP

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26
Q

Permeability

A

ease at which gas and liquid can pass through

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27
Q

Clay Soil

A

70% clay
high mineral content
low potential of organic matter
porr drainage
very high water holding
low biota
quite low PP

28
Q

Loam Soil

A

Intermediate mineral content
intermediate potential of organic matter
good drainage
intermediate water holding
intermediate air space
high biota
high PP

29
Q

porosity of sandy soils

A

fewer micropores and smaller total space too large for waters adhesive properties to work so drain well

30
Q

Fertile soil

A

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
Q

very fine clay particles

A

micropores so..
high acidity
large pore space
low permeability - hard for plants to root

32
Q

types of farming systems

A

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
Q

Subsistence Farming

A

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
Q

how to replace nutrients in soil

A

chemical fertiliser,
growing legumes,
crop rotation,
application of organic matter

34
Q

Commercial Farming

A

often a monoculture
high levels of technology energy and chemical input - high output
extensive - more land lower density
intensive - land intensively used

35
Q

Factors determining sustainability of types of farming

A

agribusiness,
scale of farming,
industrialisation,
mechanisation,
fossil fuel use,
seed/crop/livestock choices,
water use,
fertiliser & pest control,
antibiotics,
legislation,
pollinators

36
Q

Types of malnutrition

A

undernourishment - lack of nutrients
over nourishment - too many calories, obesity, excessive
unbalanced - wrong proportion of micro-nutrients

37
Q

food resource sustainability reason

A

as populations increase –> global trade expands –> market choice develops = greater demand on food supplies/agribusiness

38
Q

MEDCs food facts

A

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
Q

reductions of soil fertility

A

harvesting - removes biomass and nutrients, minerals and water = impoverished soil

39
Q

LEDCs food facts

A

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
Q

Factors determining choice of food

A

climate
cultural & religious
political
socio-economic

40
Q

ways to fix acidity of soils

A

add lime
irrigation
crop rotation - leguminous crops

40
Q

History of agriculture

A

animal domestication –> livestock –> growing crops –> fertilisers added –> harvesting –> crop rotation

41
Q

arable farming

A

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
Q

Terrestrial food production systems

A

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
Q

Aquatic food production systems

A

food comes from higher trophic levels therefore lower energy efficiency due to energy loss between trophic levels

44
Q

factors contributing to decrease in agricultural land

A

soil erosion
salinisation
desertification
urbanisation

45
Q

How to increase sustainability of food supplies

A

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
Q

human activities leading to soil degredation

A

overgrazing
deforestation
unsustainable agriculture

47
Q

Two processes causing soil degredation

A

erosion
anthropogenic processes making soil less suitable for use

48
Q

overcropping

A

depletes soil nutrients and makes soil friable
reduces soil fertility - no nutrients returned to soil
can become susceptible to erosion

48
Q

overgrazing

A

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
Q

deforestation

A

more vegetation is removed more soil becomes prone to erosion

50
Q

unsustainable agricultural techniques

A

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
Q

urbanisation

A

land in cities removed as sources of agricultural land increasing run-off (erodes elsewhere)

52
Q

erosion processes

A

sheet wash
gullying
wind erosion

53
Q

sheet wash

A

large areas of surface soil are washed away during heavy storm periods and in mountanious areas as landslides

54
Q

gullying

A

channels develop on hillsides following rainfall - overtime become a lot deeper

55
Q

how to conserve soil

A

addition of soil conditioners
wind reduction
soil conserving cultivation techniques
improved irrigation techniques
stop plowing marginal lands
crop rotation

56
Q

why soil acidification occurs

A

acid rain
breakdown of organic matter
removal of basic ions through leaching
nitrification

57
Q

wind reduction

A

plant trees between fields
alternate low and high crops in adjancent fields
build fences

58
Q

soil conserving cultivation techniques

A

growing cover crops
terracing
plowing
contour farming

59
Q

Improved irrigation techniques

A

evaporation and salinisation greatly reduced
trickle flow irrigation

60
Q

contour farming

A

plowing and cultivating along contour lines - furrows and ridges act as small terraces trapping soil and water flowing downhill thus reducing erosion

ESS (10 decks)

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