Soil Resources Flashcards

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1
Q

study of different kinds of soils and their characteristics

A

Pedology

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2
Q

loose surface material that covers most land. It consists of rock fragments, mineral grains, organic debris, and presence of moisture

A

Soil

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3
Q

plays a vital role in soil formation

A

Weathering

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4
Q

An important product of weathering and a mixture of weathered rock fragments, organic materials, grains of minerals, and moisture

A

Soil

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5
Q

region of loose unconsolidated rock and dust that sits atop a layer of bedrock

A

Regolith

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6
Q

a biologically active medium and a key component in plant growth

A

Soil

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7
Q

slow process which is almost 3 cm per hundred of years

A

Soil formation

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8
Q

Soil formation is a slow process which is almost __ per __ of years

A

3cm, hundred

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9
Q

Major Layers of Soil

A

Topsoil
Subsoil
Bedrock

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10
Q

contains small rock particles and decayed matter called humus

A

Topsoil

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11
Q

small rock particles and decayed matter

A

humus

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12
Q

beneath the topsoil and made up mostly of pebbles

A

Subsoil

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13
Q

formed when solid rock breaks up and poorest material in soil

A

Bedrock

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14
Q

Layers of the Soil

A

O Horizon - Surface Litter
A Horizon - Topsoil
E Horizon - Zone on leaching
B Horizon - Subsoil
C Horizon - Parent material
Bedrock

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15
Q

topmost layer where leaves and organic matter decompose and forms the humus

A

O Horizon

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16
Q

where we plant our seeds because it is rich in minerals and humus. It is soft and porous so that plants can stretch their roots with ease

A

A Horizon - Topsoil

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17
Q

hard and compact so only the roots of big plants can reach this far down

rich in mineral deposits and clay

A

B Horizon - Subsoil

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18
Q

layer of weathered parent rock and has no organic matter

A

C Horizon - Regolith

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19
Q

hardest layer and consists of the unweathered parent rock which supports all layers above it

A

Bedrock

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20
Q

layer of soil bet. A and B Horizon

A

Eluviation layer - E Horizon

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21
Q

light-colored layer that contains little organic matter

water percolates downward through this horizon so finer particles are carried or washed away

water also dissolves soluble inorganic soil components and carries them to deeper zones called leaching

A

E Horizon

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22
Q

the deeper zone where water dissolves soluble inorganic soil components

A

Leaching

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23
Q

Seven Types of Soil

A

Sandy
Silty
Clay
Loamy
Peaty
Chalky
Alkaline

24
Q

most porous soil and has bigger particles

allows water to drain easily

warms very fast during spring

A

Sandy

25
Q

soil that is easier to cultivate because of the organic material, nutrients, and moisture

A

silty

26
Q

smooth to touch and very fertile

retains water pretty well

can hold more moisture which makes it much easier to work with

A

Silty

27
Q

have smallest or fine particles

greater water retaining capacity

rich in mineral content

becomes heavy when wet and difficult to cultivate

A

Clay

28
Q

Combination of silt, sand, clay, and little humus

very good for gardening

retains water very easily

A

Loamy

29
Q

Loamy soil is a combination of, __, __, __, and little __

A

silt, sand, clay, humus

30
Q

dark brown soil

saturated with water and rich in organic material

great and very good for soil growing plants

contains fewer nutrients and prone to waterlogging

found mostly in swamps and muddy places where the climate is wet

A

Peaty

31
Q

found over limestone beds and deep chalk deposits

needs more watering and fertilizers because it is prone to dryness

not good for plants because it blocks nutrients

A

Chalky

32
Q

has a pH above 7 and relatively a concentration of hydrogen ions

found mostly in western soils

A

Alkaline

33
Q

Factors that control soil formation

A

Parent material
Time
Climate
Plants and Animals
Slope

34
Q

can be a bedrock or layer of unconsolidated deposits

nature of __ influences soils by its rate of weathering and its chemical make-up affects soil’s fertility (factors)

A

Parent Material

35
Q

the longer the soil has been forming, the thicker it becomes and the less it resembles the parent material (factors)

A

Time

36
Q

most influential control of soil formation, temperature, and precipitation exerts strongest impact (factors)

A

Climate

37
Q

__, __ climate may produce a thick layer of chemically weathered soil in the same amount of time that a __, __, climate produces a thin layer of mechanically weathered debris

A

hot, wet :: cold, dry

38
Q

amount of precipitation influences the degree to which various materials are removed (leached) from the soil affecting soil fertility

controls the type of plants and animals present in area (factors)

A

Climate

39
Q

its function is to furnish organic matter to the soil

when organic matter decomposes, important nutrients are supplied to plants, as well as animal and microorganisms in the soil (factors)

A

Plants and Animals

40
Q

plays an active role in the decay of plants and animal remains and some of them aid in soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds

A

Microorganisms

41
Q

earthworms and other burrowing animals act to mix the mineral and organic portions of a soil

burrows and holes also aid in the passage of water and air through the soil (factors)

A

Plants and Animals

42
Q

has a significant impact on the amount of erosion and the water content of the soil

A

Slope of the Land

43
Q

on __ slopes, soils are often poorly developed

little water can soak in so soil moisture may be insufficient for plant growth

A

Steep

44
Q

poorly drained and water-logged soils in __ slopes are usually thick and dark because of organic matter that accumulates because saturated conditions retard the decay of vegetation

A

low

45
Q

usually form in temperate areas that receive more than 63 cm of rain each year

A

Pedalfers

46
Q

Humus and leached soil (quartz and clay minerals present)

Some iron and aluminum oxidesprecipitated; all soluble materials, such as carbonates, leached away

A

Pedalfers

47
Q

this soil type is present in Eastern US, most often in forested areas

A

Pedalfers

48
Q

In the B horizon, __ contains large amounts of iron oxides and aluminum-rich clays giving it a brown-red color

A

Pedalfers

49
Q

found in the dryer western US in areas that have grasses and brush vegetation

Because chemical weather is slower in dry climates, __ generally contains less clay than pedalfers

A

Pedocal

50
Q

contains abundant amounts of calcite/calcium carbonate and are typically a light grey-brown in color

A

Pedocal

51
Q

Humus and leached soil

sandstone, shale, and limestone bedrock

A

Pedocal soil

52
Q

form in hot, wet, tropical areas. Chemical weathering is intense

go deeper than soils that develop in other areas over the same amount of time

large amounts of water in these climates filters out the calcite and silica in these soils washing them out when it rains

distinctive red color because of iron oxide

contains almost no organic materials (thus, less nutrients

poorest soils for farming

A

Laterite

53
Q

Soil Composition percentage

A

45% minerals
25% air
25% water
5% organic matter

54
Q

good type of soil for plant growth requirements is __

consists of large amount of organic matter that enhances the soil composition

A

humus

55
Q

maximum fertility of the soil has pH range of

A

6.0 pH - 7.2 pH