Soil

Question 1

Soil purposes

Answer 1

supplies water/stores carbon/habitat

Question 2

formation of soil

Answer 2

weathering of rock (mechanical/biological/chemical)

Question 3

machinery on soil

Answer 3

compresses soil and compact air which is needed for organisms and remove tunnels for worms

Question 4

organic matter

Answer 4

carbon, organisms, 90% wetlands, 1% desert

Question 5

layers of soil

Answer 5

A horizon/top soil (organisms live/nutrients), B horizon/subsoil (materials from above and below), C horizon/parent rock (rock breaks down

Question 6

porosity

Answer 6

size of pores, clay has small, sand has large

Question 7

why arent small/large spaces ideal for farm soil

Answer 7

too small means water doesnt move, too large means water moves to fast

Question 8

surface area/nutrients

Answer 8

large surface means more nutrients hold onto soil, clay holds better nutrients

Question 9

rhizosphere

Answer 9

soil in contact with roots, nutrients

Question 10

what soil is good for farming

Answer 10

loam (mix of clay/silt/sand)

Question 11

animals in soil

Answer 11

nematodes (graze on bacteria), fungi (decomposition), bacteria (nitrogen uptake)

Question 12

degradation

Answer 12

when soil loses physical/chemical/biological properties due to overgrazing/construction

Question 13

soil erosion

Answer 13

loss of topsoil by wind/poor management

Question 14

protect soil for future

Answer 14

policies to prevent soil degradation

Question 15

main nutrients

Answer 15

nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium

Question 16

macro nutrients

Answer 16

small amounts (all 3 main)

Question 17

micro nutrients

Answer 17

need in large amounts (iron)

Question 18

soil fertility

Answer 18

ability to support plant growth, soil increases fertility by cation exchange

Question 19

sandy soil nutrients

Answer 19

nutrients sink to bottom so too far to reach plants

Question 20

clay soil nutrients

Answer 20

usually clay bonds ionic attraction to nutrients so arent available for plants unless unattached so root hairs pump protons out which bind to nutrients and bind to clay

Question 21

how plants uptake nutrients

Answer 21

ions dissolved in water travel by active transport by special proteins

Question 22

pH

Answer 22

affects binding of ions/nutrient absorption

Question 23

organic fertilisers

Answer 23

manure, slow release

Question 24

inorganic fertiliser

Answer 24

artifical nitrogen, immediate uptake