Soil Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 5 main things in soil?

A

Water, mineral matter, air, humus, living organisims

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2
Q

What percentage is mineral matter in soil

A

45%

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3
Q

What percentage is water in soil

A

25%

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4
Q

What percentage is air in soil

A

25%

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5
Q

What percentage is humus/living organisms in soil

A

5%

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6
Q

What is mineral matter made of?

A

rock particles, sand, silt, and clay

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7
Q

What is soil?

A

Soil is a loose material on the earths surface

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8
Q

What are living organisms and what do they do?

A

Snails, worms, break down soil, bind soil and create little tunnels of air throughout soil

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9
Q

What is humus and what does it provide?

A

Dead organic matter which is broken down and mixed into soil. It provides important nutrients.

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10
Q

In what different ways is soil formed/helped to form?

A

climate, parent material, vegetation, living organisims, time, landscape.

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11
Q

is soil renewable or non renewable

A

Non renewable in our lifetime

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12
Q

What are the 5 layers of soil

A

Top layer: Litter layer
2nd layer: A horizon/ topsoil
3rd layer: B horizon/ subsoil
4th layer: C horizon
5th layer: Bedrock

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13
Q

What is leaching

A

Washes the nutrients out of soil

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14
Q

What is hardpan

A

minerals such as clay+iron cement together to form hardpan

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15
Q

What does healthy soil do?

A

Produces crops, healthy animals grow, filters water, stores carbon, supports living organisims

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16
Q

What is monoculture

A

When the same crop continiously being used in the same land. The land eventually tires of this

17
Q

What is desertification and give an example

A

When soil is damaged or overused it can become infertile EG: Desert Sahal

18
Q

What is soil conservation?

A

Is the prevention of loss of soil from erosion

19
Q

What is sustainable agriculture

A

correctly managing the amount of food, timber and crops required

20
Q

What are the different types of soil in ireland

A

Brown earth soils
podzol soils
Gley soils
peaty soiks