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Soils > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

0
Q

What does soil provide as a plant growth media?

A
  • nutrients
  • water
  • physical support
  • oxygen
  • temperature buffer
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1
Q

Name 6 roles or services that soil provide?

A
  1. Media for plant growth
  2. Recycling system for nutrients and waste
  3. Water supply and purification
  4. Habitat for soil microorganisms
  5. Engineering media (build things)
  6. Climate modification
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2
Q

What is a macro nutrient? Name the 6 essential elements?

A 
Nutrients needed in large quantities
•nitrogen (n)
•phosphorous (p)
•potassium (k)
•calcium (ca) 
•Magnesium (mg)
•sulfur (s)
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3
Q

What is a micro nutrient? Name 6?

A 
Nutrients needed in small quantities/ needed in only specific plants.
•Boron (b)
•Copper (cu)
•Iron (fe)
•Manganese (mn)
•Molybdenum (mo)
•zinc (zn) 
Maybe-chlorine, cobalt
Some-sodium,vanadium,chromium
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4
Q

How does soil influence climate?

A
  • carbon sequestration(holds carbon)
  • evaporation ie clouds
  • particulate matter(dust prevent sun)
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5
Q

What is the soils role in the ecology of the plant?

A

Soil is the interface between

  • biosphere
  • hydrosphere (water)
  • lithosphere (not alive)
  • atmosphere (air)
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6
Q

What is the difference between soil an soils?

A

Soil is 4 components
-mineral, water, air, biomass (living and previously living)
Soils is the soil and the rest of everything on the planet

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7
Q

Describe the oversimplified process for the formation of soil.

A
  1. Rock exposed at earths surface is degraded.
  2. Creates a rubble = regolith
  3. Particles tend to move (water and rain)
  4. Regolith is further modified by living organisms
  5. Eventually “soil” is created.
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8
Q

Define “soil profile”?

A

Verticals section of the soil.

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9
Q

Name the 3 primary soil horizons?

A

A horizon- top soil
B horizon- in general lighter in color
C horizon- almost rock

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10
Q

What is a plow layer?

A

Is various layers of soil mixed together as a result of plowing

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11
Q

Why is the soil near bedrock less developed than near the surface?

A

**Less weathering and chemical reactions taking place

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12
Q

How might lower horizons be modified?

A

**Chemical reactions and large root systems

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13
Q

Name the constitutes and %

A 
Inorganic particles (45%)
Organic particles (5%)
Air/ water (50%) controlled by climate
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14
Q

Define soil texture?

A

The relative quantities of 3 particle sizes

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15
Q

What is sand silt and clay?

A

Sand- large particle sizes (2mm-.05)
Silt - less than (.05mm-.002)
Clay- less than (.002)

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16
Q

How does one determine a texture class?

A

Use a textural triangle

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17
Q

Texture classifications determine what?

A

Water holding capacity
Nutrient holding capacity
Tilth- the farmability of the soil(ease of plowing)
Engineering properties

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18
Q

Define soil structure?

A

General arrangement of particles

19
Q

What can cause soil aggregation?

A

(Aggregation is the tendency for particles to stick together,)
•Caused by (plowing) infrequent disordering of particles
•root activity, worms, decaying organic matter microorganisms

20
Q

What is organic mater? Humus?

A

Compounds made with carbon chains. Ie plants animals and microorganisms ( must be dead and mainly decomposed by microbes)

Humus is om that has formerly been decayed

21
Q

What is a soil solution?

A

Is soil water…water+ salts+ elements+ particles+ chemicals.

22
Q

How does soil air differ from atmospheric air?

A

In general higher co2 and lower o2 than atmospher

23
Q

Indicate the 3 ways in which nutrients moves from the soil into the plant?

A
  1. Root interception (must touch)
  2. Mass flow (water pulled up from leaves…responsible for must nutrient absorption except p,k,zn
  3. Diffusion way for p,k,zn absorption
24
Q

What is the relative importance of root growth and interception of nutrient uptake?

A

Insignificant

25
Q

Discuss why soils are considered to be reusable but not renewable?

A

One can use it over and over but you can’t make more of it

26
Q

Within a particular climate, what is the primary factor that determines the spread of weathering?

A

The nature and composition of the rock

27
Q

What are the three primary rock types?

A

Igneous
Metamorphic
Sedimentary

28
Q

Name 3 agents of physical weathering?

A

Temperature change
Abrasion- (water ice water flow and wind)
Plants and animals

29
Q

What might cause chemical weathering?

A

Organic/ inorganic acids
Ph changes
Oxidation
Hdrilices

30
Q

Indicate the 5 factors involved in the formation of soils?

A 
A. Parent material- rock
B. climate
C. Biota 
D. Topography
E. Time
31
Q

How might parent material influence the nature of the resulting soil?

A

Composition determines what meme rails are released
Soil texture will be determined by rock type
Composition determines initial soil acidity level

32
Q

How is parent material classified? And possible origins of parent material?

A 
Based on its origin
-residual rock
-water transported
Gravity transported
Wind deposited
Ice transported
Organic deposits (Pete bogs)
33
Q

What is climates role in soil formation?

A

Acts on parent material

34
Q

What is effective precipitation in regards to soil?

A

Pen iteration to regolith

35
Q

How does temperature affect soil formation?

A

Freezing and thawing and effects chemical reactions

36
Q

What aspects of vegetation affect the formation of soils? What about animals?

A 
Vegetation
-root systems 
-Residual competition (pine needles)
-Microclimates
Other organisms 
-tunnels (moles)
-megafauna (big animals compact)
37
Q

Why are soils on steep slips thin?

A

Because soil is dispersed down hill

38
Q

Detail the typical progression of soil formation?

A

.

39
Q

Name and describe the four processes that affect soil formation?

A
  • transformations- physical and/or chemical changes the soil structure
  • translocations (movement)
  • additions
  • losses (erosion, leaching)
40
Q

Explain why soils are so different from each other?

A

Because the 5factors are different everywhere

41
Q

Name the 6 master horizons and layers and indicate characteristics?

A

O-typically formed above mineral layer, derived from organic material and subdivided based on decomposition.
A-top most mineral layer (top soil) contains organic matter
E- eluviation (things flowing in and out) common in forests
B-undergone few transformations
C- least effected by weathering
Bedrock layer

42
Q

Why might horizons be sub-divided?

A

Because there are distinct layers within those horizons

43
Q

How are created soils signified in soil surveys?

A

With a caret (^)

44
Q

Name the 2 primary soil types in ky?how are they similar?

A

Ultisol- south east- low fertility
Alfisol- western-
Both are highly weathered and usually develop under forests. Both are highly leached due to high rain fall and both ate acidic

Soils (4 decks)

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