Soil

Question 1

The collection of natural bodies on the earth’s surface supporting or capable of supporting plants

Answer 1

Soil

Question 2

What is soil?

Answer 2

The collection of natural bodies on the earth’s surface supporting or capable of supporting plants

Question 3

The collection of natural bodies earth’s surface…

Answer 3

…supporting or capable of supporting plants

Question 4

What percentage of an ideal ag soil does organic matter make up?

Answer 4

5%

Question 5

What percentage of an ideal ag soil do minerals make up?

Answer 5

45%

Question 6

What percentage of an ideal ag soil does water make up?

Answer 6

25%

Question 7

What percentage of an ideal ag soil does air make up?

Answer 7

25%

Question 8

Solid matter making up a soil

Answer 8

Parent material

Question 9

What is parent material?

Answer 9

Solid matter making up a soil

Question 10

What are the two types of soils?

Answer 10

Residual soils and Transported soils

Question 11

What are residual soils?

Answer 11

Soils that remain at the site of formation

Question 12

What are transported soils?

Answer 12

Soils that are transported from the site of its parent material(s)

Question 13

What are the four factors that contribute to soil formation that were discussed in class?

Answer 13

Climate, Time, Biota, Topography

Question 14

What two features of climate have a strong impact on soil formation

Answer 14

Temperature and preceipitation

Question 15

In what kind of climate would there be a thick layer of chemically weathered soil?

Answer 15

A hot and wet climate

Question 16

In what kind of climate would there be a thin mantle of mechanically weathered soil?

Answer 16

A cold and dry climate

Question 17

What climate feature specifically influences soil fertility?

Answer 17

Precipitation

Question 18

True or False: Precipitation impacts biota

Answer 18

True

Question 19

How is time a factor in soil formation?

Answer 19

Weathering influences parent material(s)

Question 20

What is biota?

Answer 20

Plants and animals living in the soil

Question 21

Plants and animals living in soil are called…

Answer 21

Biota

Question 22

Micro-organisms play an active role in…

Answer 22

…the decay of plant and animal remains

Question 23

What important process do biota contribute to regarding soil formation?

Answer 23

Nitrogen fixation

Question 24

What is nitrogen fixation?

Answer 24

Certain bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and “fix” it, or turn it into a form that plants can use

Question 25

Name the two soil conservation concerns discussed in class

Answer 25

Urbanization and Pollution

Question 26

Why is soil important regarding climate change?

Answer 26

Soil holds CO2 instead of it going into the atmosphere

Question 27

Slopes affect the amount of soil erosion and...

Answer 27

...water content of soil

Question 28

Waterlogged soils in poorly drained bottomlands have copious amounts of...

Answer 28

organic matter

Question 29

Do saturated soil conditions speed up or slow down decay?

Answer 29

It slows down decay

Question 30

Vertical section through all soil horizons

Answer 30

Soil profile

Question 31

What is a soil profile?

Answer 31

A vertical section through all soil horizons

Question 31

What are soil horizons?

Answer 31

Horizontal differences in the soil that divide it into layers

Question 31

Horizons that compose topsoil

Answer 31

O and A horizons

Question 31

Horizontal differences in soil divide it into layers

Answer 31

Soil horizons

Question 32

Soil horizons in descending order:

Answer 32

O horizon; A horizon; E horizon; B horizon; C horizon

Question 33

Which soil horizon is considered subsoil?

Answer 33

B horizon

Question 34

Which soil horizon has highest biodiversity?

Answer 34

O horizon

Question 35

Which layer of O horizon has recognizable plant litter?

Answer 35

Upper layer

Question 36

Which layer of O horizon has humus?

Answer 36

Lower layer

Question 37

What is humus?

Answer 37

Partly decomposed organic matter

Question 38

True or False: A horizon has high biodiversity

Answer 38

True

Question 39

What type of matter mostly comprises A horizon?

Answer 39

Mineral matter

Question 40

True or False: A horizon has more humus than O horizon

Answer 40

False

Question 41

Which soil horizon is lightest in colour?

Answer 41

E horizon

Question 42

What 2 process are caused by water percolating in the E horizon?

Answer 42

Eluviation and Leaching

Question 43

What is eluviation?

Answer 43

The washing out of fine soil components

Question 44

What is the washing out of fine soil components called?

Answer 44

Eluviation

Question 45

What is the process of water carrying soluble materials to depth called?

Answer 45

Leaching

Question 46

What is leaching?

Answer 46

When water carries soluble minerals to depth

Question 47

At which horizon does eluviation deposit material?

Answer 47

B horizon

Question 48

What is B horizon also known as?

Answer 48

Zone of accumulation

Question 49

What accumulates in the B horizon?

Answer 49

Fine clay particles

Question 50

Which horizon is partly altered parent material?

Answer 50

C horizon

Question 51

Which horizon is not considered true soil?

Answer 51

C horizon

Question 52

What are the 3 types of soil erosion?

Answer 52

Sheet, Rill, and Gully erosion

Question 53

Which is larger: Rills or Gullies

Answer 53

Gullies

Question 54

Water flowing over surfaces and carrying dislodged soil particles is what type of erosion?

Answer 54

Sheet erosion