Lecture 1 Flashcards by Serwaa Unknown

Who defines soil as “the lose surface of the earth”

Foth (1978)

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Soil is the uppermost layer of mineral and organic matter found on the earth’s surface. Whose words are these?

MacDonald(2003)

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Soil is a dynamic natural body on the surface of the earth in which plants grow composed of mineral, organic material and living forms. Who gave this definition?

Buckman and Brady (1960)

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Soil is found on the surface of the earth in which plants grow. Does that mean stagnant water bodies on which plants grow are also soil?

NO!

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Soil according to Buckman and Brady’s definition must be…

organic, inorganic and living forms

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Humus is an example of…

an organic material

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Living forms that just be present in the soil are….

Fauna (insects, bacteria)

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Soil is a weathered product of rocks and minerals weathering…which point of view is this?

Pedological point of view

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Soil is the natural medium for plant growth. Which POV is this?

Agricultural POV

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Soil is a foundation material for construction. Which POV is this?

Engineering POV

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What percentages are the following soil composition.
1. Mineral component
2. Organic matter
3. Air
4. Water

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Which soil composition provides mechanical supportand nutrients for the plant?

Mineral component

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I am made up of plant and animal residues and living organisms, I affect physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. Who am I?

Organic Matter

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Which composition prevents CO2 toxicity?

Air

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I act as a reservoir for supplying plants with water, what am I?

Soil water

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Soil formation is also known as

Pedogenesis

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Soil formation begins with

The weathering of rocks or parent material

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The breakdown of rocks, soils and minerals through physical, chemical and biological processes is called?

Weathering

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What are the three types of weathering?

Physical, chemical and biological

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A layer in the soul which measures parallel to the soil surface and possesses properties which differ from layers beneath and above is…

Soil horizon

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The vertical sequence of soil horizons found at a given location is collectively called

Soil profile

What are the processes involved in soil formation?

Transformations, translocations, additions and losses of materials

What happens during transformations?

weathering and organic matter breakdown

Moving of inorganic and organic materials from one horizon to another mostly by water and soil organisms is under what process in soil formation?

Translocations

In the addition process

materials are added to the soil profile from outside such as organic matter from leaves, and dust

How do losses of materials happen?

through erosion

what capital letters are used to denote the master or main horizons

O, A, B, C, E

Primarily dead organic litter. Most soils inhabit this layer

O layer

Later rich in humus consisting of partly decomposed organic material mixed with mineral soil.

A layer (top soil)

Region of leaching minerals from the soil

E layer

What is Eluviation ?

The downward movement of dissolved or suspended material within the soil by leaching.

which region or layer has little organic material?

Clay minerals and oxides of aluminum and iron leached out of the overlying E horizon are sometimes deposited in which horizon?

B horizon

Which major soil horizon has primarily weakly altered material similar to the parent material?

C horizon

I have calcium and magnesium carbonates accumulating in my layer, sometimes forming hard, impenetrable layers. What am I?

C horizon

Unaltered parent material such as rock can be found in horizon….

What are the four major soil orders representing ages and stages of soil development?

Entisol, Inceptisol, Alfisol and Ultisol

Entisol is a…

recently developed soil where weathering hasn’t exactly started.

What small layers are in the Entisol?

O, A, C, R

What dominant bottom layer is in the Entisol?

Layer R

Inceptisol marks the…

Inception of soil formation.

What happens to the layers in inceptisols?

Layer B appears, C grows larger and R becomes smaller

Alfisols are…

halfway weathered soils

what happens to the layers in the Alfisol

layers B and C continue to grow as layer R continues to shrink

Ultisol is the….

ultimate result of weathering

In the final stage of the major soil orders, what happens to the existing layers?

Layer R disappears completely, layer E has appeared and layers B and C have continued to grow.

All soils have horizons mentioned in this lecture, true or false?

False

Variations of soil profiles are due to…

differences in soil-forming factors

Variations of soil profiles are due to…

differences in soil-forming factors

not a question but shortcut to remember. O, A, E, B, C, R

O- organic horizon A- top soil E- Eluviation horizon B- subsoil C- Parent material R- bedrock

What is the sentence we made out of the characteristics of major soil horizons?

Oh Alpha Ends Beta Career Regardless

Biota is…

vegetation or humus and burrowing animals