exam 1 vocabulary Flashcards
define A soil
an individual body that is organized, 3-D , region/biome specific and has distinct properties
define The soil
all of the soils- soils the material and roots , ground dwelling animals and rocks(pedosphere)
define soil-material
mixture of minerals ,gases, water, organic matter and organisms capable of supporting plant life
define ecosystem services
products of natural systems that support and fufill the needs of human
define losses
material exiting from the soil from above , below, or horizontally
define weathering
all physical and chemical changes produced in rocks or minerals
define chemical weathering
alteration and/or breakdown of inital mineral compounds through chemical reactions
define physical weathering
breakdown or disintegration of larger rocks or rock fragments into smaller pieces by physical force`
define transformations
one material/mineral becomes another
define translocations
lateral or vertical movements inside the soil
define additions
material entering the soil from above,below or horizontally
define illuviation
accumulation of material in a lower horizon, translocated from an upper layer
define Eluvation
removal of soil material in suspension or solution from a layer of soil
define igenous
formed during cooling of magma or lava
define metamorphic
form when igneous or sedimentary rocks are altered under high heat and pressure conditions in the earths crust
define mafic
more Ca, Mg, and Fe increased weathering
define felsic
more Si, less weathering
define soil texture
relative proportions of soil,silt, and clay particles in soil
define alluvial
well sorted rounded fragments deposited from a stream
define colluvial
poorly sorted,angular deposited, gravity deposited
define loess
predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust
define master horizons
most broad horizon category
what are layers of soil called
horizons
What are diagnostic horizons
layer or soil zone whose properties meet certain criteria specified for the purposes of classification
what is a soil individual
Very similar pedons, all closely associated in the field
what is a soil series
a group of soils with similar profiles developed from similar parent materials under comparable climatic and vegetational conditions
what is Horizonization
separation of soil into distinct layer
what is the smallest volume that can be called a soil
pedon
define epipedon
diagnostic surface horizon
define endopedon
diagnostic subsurface horizon
define mollic
dark colored, thick(> 25 cm), pH 6.8
define ochric
light colored,thin, low organic matter
what is an accumulation of clay called
argillic
What is calic
calcite and dolomite
What is albic
light colored,lots of elluviation
define natric
sodium, clay, columnar`
what is cambric
weakly developed B horizon, little to no illuviation
what is value
lightness, 0= black, 8= nearly white
define ped
natural unit of soil structure such as an aggregate, crumb, or prism
what is strokes law
describes settling velocity of soil particles as a function of particle diameter
what is bulk density
Includes solid particles and air, Measured per mass unit of dry soil
deinfe alfisols
fertile, broadleaf forest soils, mild acid weathering
define andisols
high organic matter, near volcanoes, ash forms clay layers
define aridsols
desert soils, slow chemical weathering due to dry conditions
define entisols
no B horizon, high erosion, slow weathering, minimal development
define inceptisols
common on moderately steep slopes, incipient development, moderate erosion rates
define mollisols
dark grassland soils, highly productive
define oxisols
extremely weathered tropical and subtropical soils, not very fetile, 100% secondary material
define spodosols
not very fertile, coniferous forest soils, acid weathering
define ultisols
highly weathered tropical and subtropical soils, less productive than mollisols and alfisols
defnie Vertisols
> 30% swelling clays, arid and semi arid regions, shrink-swell causes inversion of soil
