Lecture 9- Boreal Forest Soil and Vegetation Flashcards
Soil characteristics affects _______ which are major determinants of the floristic community that will result
The soil moisture and nutrient stores
What is soil parent material?
Rocks and sediments deposited from other areas, they weather and erode over time and develop soil
The way the soil is _____ can change the type of soil
Deposited
What is fluvial deposition?
Sediments deposited by flowing water
What is Eolian deposition?
Sediments deposited by wind
What is Lacustrine deposition?
Materials deposited in lakes
What is Glacial Till deposition?
Sediments deposited by glacial ice
Plant material influences ______
-Soil texture
-Mineralogy
-Buffering capacity
How does the soil form?
Parent material accumulate
Soil horizons are differentiated by ______
-Climate (wind, temperature, water)
-Biotic activities
-Topography
Describe the four steps of soil formation
1.Weathering Begins (disintegrating rock)
2.Organic matter (parent material)
3.Mineral Fragments and organic matter (horizon A and C)
4.Greater plant growth (Horizon A, B and C)
Soil texture directly impacts interactions with what?
Water and vegetation patterns (water holding capacity and soil drainage)
What is the difference between large grain (sand) and small grain (clay)?
-Larger grain means more space between each grain = more water that can pass through = more rapidly draining.
-Clay is very tiny, not much space for water to pass through = more poorly drained
What is field capacity?
The content of water remaining in a soil a few days after being wetted and free drainage nearly ends (how much water is still available for plants to take up after a few days, pressure gradient thats ideal for plants)
What influences soil drainage (field capacity)?
-Grain size
-Water flow rate
-Ground water
Soil drainage highly influences _____ and _____
-Vegetation type
-Plant community composition
In general, conifers in ____ areas and deciduous in ____ areas
-Wet
-Dry
What is soil horizons?
Separation of soil into distinct sections based on organic matter that has leached through or minerals available (layer of soil)
Horizons have ______ produced by soil forming processes
Distinct characteristics
What is horizon A?
A is considered mineral soil but can often have a lot of organic material in it that has leached in from the decomposing leaf litter
What do you start to see in horizon B and C?
Where you start to see mineralization of the parent material