Questions Flashcards

1
Q

Which three soil properties control available water?

A
  • Pore sizes
  • Structure
  • Organic matter
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2
Q

What is porosity and how does the structure influence this?

A
  • Porosity is the pore space in soil between mineral particles (and solid organic matter) filled with either air or water.
  • Soil structure influences porosity because porosity depends on the size of the pores and soil structure includes the size of the pores.
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3
Q

How are gley soils formed?

A

Gleying: saturation of the soil pores with water, leading to grey and/or red-brownish colourations.

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4
Q

How are podzols formed?

A

chemical and physical processes of leaching transport, and precipitation of humus with iron and/or aluminium.

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5
Q

Why is it important to know a soil’s pH?

A

Soil pH affects the number of nutrients and chemicals that are soluble in soil water, and therefore the amount of nutrients available to plants.

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6
Q

What are the jobs of different bacteria?

A
  1. Decomposers: decomposition of organic material when moister levels are high.
  2. Nitrogen fixers: Fix nitrogen in the soil by inoculating legume seeds.
  3. Disease suppressors: disease suppression.
  4. Aerobes and anaerobes: produce toxic compounds that limit root growth and cause root diseases. 5. Actinobacteria: breaking down humates and humic acids in soils.
  5. Sulfur oxidizers: convert sulfides into sulfates
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7
Q

What is the relation between soil biology and SOM?

A

Soil organic matter plays a vital part in enhancing soil fertility and quality

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8
Q

How to increase soil health?

A

Limit disturbance
Keep it covered
Increase diversity
Keep a live root
Limit pesticides
Address compaction
Implement strategic grazing

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9
Q

What are the factors of land formation?

A

Weathering starts and bedrock starts to disintegrate
Organic matter disintegrates
Water percolates horizons form
A deeper profile is created, more humus, and a thicker horizon

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10
Q

What are the soil components?

A

Pore space:
20-30% water
20-30% air (gasses)

Soil solid:
45% minerals
5% organic matter

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11
Q

Explain the chemical and biological processes in soil formation and degradation

A

Chemical:
Transport of primary to secondary minerals
Chemically different
Biological:
Impact of Soil organisms
Tree roots growth in cracks

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12
Q

Name and give characteristics of four factors related to soil degradation

A
  1. Gleying: saturation of pores with water -> colouration
  2. podolization: the chemical and physical process of leaching
  3. browning: chemical and biological process in sandy soils with create erosion of iron -
    > rusty colouring
  4. Clay redistribution: chemical and physical mobilization transport and precipitating of clay
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