Soil Flashcards
Name the 4 layers of soil
Humus
Topsoil
Subsoil
Parent rock/Bed rock
Name 4 types of soils
Brown earth soil
Podzol soil
Grey soil
Peaty soil
Tell me about brown earth soil
Most common in Ireland
Found in lowland areas
Even loads of sand and clay equal loom soil
Developed on boulder clay
Fertile
Deciduous forest developed on this oil producing plant which provides with humus and various leaching occurred, which is very good for agriculture
Tell me about podzol soil
Configures forest developed on the soil
NOS common Ireland
Infertile and acidic
Loss of leading due to heavy rainfall
Cold and wet, very little earthworm activity
Found in potty trained areas such as county Galway and Cork
Name the six factors of soil formation
• Climate
• Parent material
• Living organisms
• Landscape/relief
• Vegetation
• Time
Define the term climate in relation to soil
Soil is broken down by weathering to form mineral matter depending on rainfall and temperature. Excess rainfall leads to leaching. Parent rock is broken down by chemical weathering this impacts types of vegetation.
Define the term patent material
Type of rock broken down my weathering. These provide manners and nutrition forming stones and very fertile.
Define the term living organisms in relation to soil
Bacteria, fungi breakdown plant litter in the O horizon. Earthworms break up soil when they die they add nutrition to the soil.
Define the term landscape/relief in relation to soil
Upland Soils are thin because of mass movement and poorly drained. Low land soils are deeper rich in humus and fertile.
Define the term vegetation in relation to soil
Create plant litter which breaks down humans. Areas with deciduous trees have more plants litter therefore more fertile soils.
Define the term time in relation to soil
It can take up to four hundred years for one centimetre of soil to form because the process is so slow. As soil is a non-renewable resource
Define the term loam
It is an even mixture of soil slit and clay. Soft and texture and they break up easily and are ideal for growing crops.
Define the term mineral matter
Mineral matter (rock particles) is pieces of rock resulting from the processes of weathering and erosion. These particles contain minerals, which help plants to grow.
Define the term air in relation to soil
Fills Space between particles and contains oxygen and nitrogen. Living organisms need it to survive.
Define the term water in relation to soil
Help bind soil together. Minerals dissolved in water absorbed through the root of plants.
What is humus?
Jelly substance – forms when plants and animals decay. Binds soil together providing nutrients that makes soil fertile.
Define the term living organisms
It’s home to many living things which help breakdown organic matter forming humus also mixes soil earthworm
What is a soil profile?
A soil profile is a cross-section of a different layer of soil. Each layer is called a horizon.
Tell me about the O horizon
Home to organic plant matter and plant litter equal humus
Tell me about the a horizon
Where organisms in live and is usually decorated in the other layers because it is the highest humus content. It’s very fertile.
Tell me about the B horizon
Light and colour as less humus. It has more rocks and closer to the bedrock
Tell me about the C horizon
Bedrock/parent material. Solid rock in the upper layer. It is made up of rock particles.
Define the term natural vegetation
Natural vegetation refers to any plants or trees that grow on their own without any form of human interference
What are the benefits of deep fertile soil?
Sensibility to support our wide range of meditation because I have high nutrition content
Human impacts on soil
Over-cropping occurs when crops are continuously grown on the land. This means that nutrients are constantly being removed from the soil. The soil eventually loses its fertility and becomes exhausted. Soil should be given a chance to recover and regain its nutrients before more crops are planted. Monoculture is very common in poorer countries and results in soil becoming infertile
Overgrazing occurs when vegetation is exposed to intensive grazing for long periods of time, or when too many cattle or sheep graze an area of land. Roots are destroyed and the soil is left bare and exposed to wind and rain. This causes soil erosion. Changing farming practices is the most important solution to desertification.
Name a lahar you have studied
Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia
What happened during this lahar
On the night of 13 November 1985, the volcano of Nevado del Ruiz in the Andes mountains erupted. The volcano had been dormant for 140 years. The hot ash and rock that erupted from the volcano melted the snow and ice on the mountain, creating lahars. These lahars rushed down the mountainside, picking up rock, soil and ash along the way. The lahars were up to 40 m deep and travelled at speeds of up to 50 kph. The town of Armero, located 74 km from the crater and at the foot of the mountain, lay directly in the path of a lahar. It took just two and a half hours to reach the town, and the people were not warned in time. Over 23,000 people were killed, and 85% of the town was washed away.
What is leaching
When rain falls water passes through the soil, washing minerals, humus and nutrients from the A horizon down to the B horizon. This process is called leaching.
