Soil

Question 1

What is soil

Answer 1

The layer of loose materials on the earths surface. It is a very important resource

Question 2

What is soil made up of

Answer 2

Air 25%
Water 25%
Mineral matter 43%
Living organisms 2%
Humus 5%

Question 3

Air

Answer 3

Bug ingredient in soil. Made up of small pieces of rocks (sand silt and clay) broken down by weathering and erosion

Question 4

Water

Answer 4

Water contains dissolved minerals and plants to absorb minerals through their roots

Question 5

Living organisms

Answer 5

Earth worms, slugs, wood lice and insects break down dead plants and help to create humus

Question 6

What is soil made from

Answer 6

Humus

Question 7

What is humus

Answer 7

Dark, decaying organic matter. It is the remains of dead creatures, plants, grass and leaves, provides nutrients in the soil

Question 8

Name the 6 ways soils are formed

Answer 8

Climate
Parent material
Vegetation
Living organisms
Landscapes
Time

Question 9

What does hot climates influence in rocks

Answer 9

Chemical weathering

Question 10

What does cold climate influence in rocks

Answer 10

Freeze thaw

Question 11

What is the type of rock that effects soil formation

Answer 11

Parent rock

Question 12

Soil profile

Answer 12

Soils number of different layers

Each layer is called a horizon

Question 13

A horizon

Answer 13

Upper layer of soil. Dark in colour because posts of hums and organisms live here

Question 14

B horizon

Answer 14

Beneath the topsoil. Lighter in colour because it has less humus. Contains more rocks than A horizon

Question 15

C horizon

Answer 15

This is the parent rock. Made from bedrock and pieces of rock

Question 16

Leaching

Answer 16

Occurs when heavy rainfalls washes the mineral, nutrients and humus down into the B horizon.

Question 17

Hard pan

Answer 17

A hard impermeable crust formed when leaching occurs. It causes water logging in the soil.

Question 18

Name 2 soils

Answer 18

Brown soils

Podzol soils

Question 19

Where are Brown soils formed

Answer 19

Formed in areas covered by deciduous forests high provided a large amount of plant litter, which rapidly decays into humus

Question 20

About Brown soils

Answer 20

Rainfall is limited so leaching and hard pan do not develop
The land is fertile, suitable for farming.
Found in dryer lowland areas of the south Midlands + east

Question 21

Where are podzol soils formed

Answer 21

Areas covered by coniferous forest.. Pine needles provide limited plant litter. The plant litter decays slowly providing limited amounts of humus

Question 22

About podzol soils

Answer 22

Greater rainfall causes leaching and hard pan and the A horizon becomes grey in colour
Podzol soils are fertile and slightly acidic

Question 23

Where are podzol soils found

Answer 23

In wetter upland areas of Cork, Galway and Wexford