Geology, Food, and Drink (L35) Flashcards
What are the 4 things that soil must contain to be truly soil?
contain mineral, organic matter, water, and air
what is regolith?
refers to rocks and mineral fragments produced by weathering
this is the portion that supports the growth of plants
What provides the important inorganic nutrients for plant growth?
Mineral matter
What is another source for nutrients?
Organic matter
What does water do in soil?
its the transport medium for nutrients to be taken up by plant roots
What does air do in soil?
its taken up by plant roots and is important in supporting decomposers such as worms
what other factors control the formation and properties of soils?
Parent material - material from which the soil ultimately forms from
Time - amount of time varies for diff soils depending on gelogical circumstances and climatic conditions
Climate - the most influential control on soil formation, key factors being temp and percipitation
what are the 2 types of parent material?
residual soils and transported soils
longer the time available for soil formation ______
the thicker and better devloped the soil profile will be
How do organisms influence the soil’s physical and chemical properties?
not only do organisms deplete soils of nutriets, but they also supply them when they die and decompose
What does vegetation do?
protects soil from erosion
Where are poorly developed soils found and why?
In steep slopes due to their tendency to fail
How do soil forming processes operate?
from the surface downward
parent material weathers to rubble and smaller particles
organic matter deposited on top of the weathered material
What is the formation of the soil profile? from bottom to top
very bottom is bedrock - soil profile established here
C-horizon - soil base, partly altered parent material
B-horizon - subsoil, zone of accumulation
E-horizon - zone of leaching, not always present
A-horizon - mixture of humus and mineral matter
O-horizon - loose, partly decayed organic matter
What is the top soil?
the A-horizon and O-horizon
Why is soil texture important factor in growing crops?
b/c of the ability of the soil to drain water, to retain moisture and dissolved nutrients in the soil water
Why are clay-rich soils not good for farming equipment?
b/c clay rich soils retain lots of water and tend to contain lots of nutrients so sticky when wet and hard when dry
What isthe most desired type of soils and why?
Loam - a mixture of roughly equal proportions of clay, silt, and sand
loam provides water and nutrient retention while allowing sufficient drainage to prevent the soil from staying too wet
When are dry and relatively nutrient poor soil a good thing?
edible plants (herbs used for cooking) which are prized for their pleasant aroma and flavour which happens due to the concentration of oil in their tissues (providing enough water and nutrition to keep the plant alive, but to prevent the plant form dying)
What are 3 minerals in our food that we might not be aware of?
gypsum - used as a stiffening agent in baked products
plagioclase feldspar - used as an anti-caking agent
aaptite - used in baked goods as an anti-caking agent and acid regulator
how is tofu made from minerals?
uses both nigari and Epsom salt which are mineral salts
What is the active ingredient in TUMS?
calcite (Calcium carbonate)
How is grape-growing done by?
stressing of plants by reducing their wate uptake
