Post Midterm Flashcards
what are some examples of pedogenic processes?
Additions (humification)
Losses (Leeching of nutrients off site, wind erosion)
Transformation (Chemical changes like hydrolysis and oxidation)
Translocation (elluviation)
What are pedogenic processes?
When material in the horizons is differentiated from the parent material
What is the diagnostic horizon?
Specific sequence of horizons used to classify soils
what is the diagnostic layer in podzols?
Ae horizon (acidic, coarse textured material)
What is the diagnostic layer in luvisols?
Bt - secondary clay enrichment in B horizon from weathering of A
- fine textured parent material
- shiny surfaced peds
What is the diagnostic layer in chernozems?
Thick Ah over Bm (grassland)
Diagnostic layer of a brunisol?
Ah over Bm in a forest ecosystem
what is the dominant differentiating factor in soil horizons?
Color
what are some forms that horizons take when they join?
Smooth
Wavy
Irregular
Broken
What do red colors indicate in soils?
Presence of Fe and good aeration/drainage
-except mottles which are detrimental to drainage
Briefly describe oxidation and reduction reactions
Oxidation - loss of electron(s)
Reduction - Gain of electron(s)
What is chelation?
Movement of organic material from A into B. Facilitated by Ligans.
what are ligans?
Organic compounds that pick up Fe+ or Al+ as it translocates downward through A horizon. They are then deposited in B.
What are ligans called when they attach to Fe+ or Al+ oxides?
Chelates
what nutrients would you expect in acidic soil?
poor nutrients (due to low availability)
what kind of nutrient availability would you expect in basic soil?
High nutrient availability
why are nutrients less available in acidic soils?
Nutrients are stored in the net negative charge of the colloidal fraction. When soil is acidic, high concentrations of hydoxyl (OH) and hydronium (H30) displace nutrients from their receptor sites in the colloidal fraction resulting in leeching of nutrients off site.
What are mottles?
Spots or blotches that differ from the background color. Caused by reduction reactions that happen due to flooding and saturated condition for periods of time. More frequent in fine textured soil.
What 3 parameters is the Munsell color notation based on?
hue - dominant spectral color
value - brightness of color
Chroma - strength of color
What are the two ends of the munsell color notation?
10R- strongest
5Y weakest
What is gleying? What color is gleyed soil?
Gleying refers to prolonged saturation.
Grey/Blue in color
How does soil structure “develop”
Through addition of…
- organic matter from above
- supplemental clays from above
- fe+ al+ oxides from above
- salt from below (upward translocation)
Describe upward translocation
In warm climate with salty soils, upward translocation occurs through the process of evaporation by which water molecules evaporate and rise through soil. As they do they translocate dissolved salts and minerals upwards where they are deposited in the soil
What things effect soil drainage?
Slope Slope position Texture Depths of soil Water table Field capacity Infiltration capacity
What is mottling?
How are Mottles defined?
Blotchy color condition in soil that indicates poor drainage. Caused by reducing conditions and seasonal flooding/saturated conditions
Defined in terms of abundance, size, color, color contrast to the matrix.