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EoSC Spring Semester > Soil Science Q1 > Flashcards

Soil Science Q1 Flashcards

1
Q

Biopore

A

Pore space created by organic matter

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2
Q

Macropore

A

Pore that is >0.8 mm
Usually filled with air

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3
Q

Soil Taxonomy

A

The science of classifying soil based on profile characteristics and best use

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4
Q

What are the levels of soil taxonomy?

A

Order, suborder, great group, subgroup, family, series

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5
Q

Mircopore

A

Pore that is <0.8 mm
Usually filled w/ water, as it’s too small for air
Slows water and air movement

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6
Q

Porosity

A

Percent of a soil sample that is pore space

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7
Q

Does pore space increase or decrease deeper in soil?
How does the air:water ratio change?

A

Pore space decreases
More water and less air

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8
Q

Soil Mulch

A

Shallow tillage of the soil to reduce evaporation and maintain nitrogen levels
Only useful with shallow water tables

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9
Q

Fallow

A

Land that is left uncultivated for a growing season to build water stores in soil

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10
Q

Tillage

A

Mechanical stirring of the soil (usually topsoil) to increase plant growth

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11
Q

Soil Tilth

A

Physical condition of soil as it relates to tillage and plant production

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12
Q

What 8
factors affect soil tilth?

A

structure, texture, organic matter, bulk density, pore space, aeration, water content, nutrient content

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13
Q

Bulk Density

A

Mass of a unit of dry soil (physical content and pore space, but no water)

Dry soil mass (g)/volume (cm^3)

High bulk density makes tillage and root growth difficult

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14
Q

What three things does soil structure affect?

A

Water/air movement, plant growth, and heat transfer

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15
Q

What are the two types of structureless soils?

A

Massive and single grain

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16
Q

Percolation

A

Downward movement of water through soil

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17
Q

How many soil texture classes are there?

A

12

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18
Q

Coarse Fragments

A

Any particle larger than 2mm
Not considered part of the soil

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19
Q

Ped/Agregate

A

A shape of soil structure

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20
Q

What are the six soil structures?

A
  • Granular
  • Platy
  • Angular blocky
  • Sub-angular blocky
  • Prismatic
  • Columnar
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21
Q

Diagnostic horizon

A

The presence or absence of a soil horizon

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22
Q

Epipidon

A

A diagnostic horizon taken from the topsoil

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23
Q

Section

A

1 square mile, or 640 acres of land
1/36 of a township
Began measurement in NE corner and worked their way over and down, alternating E/W starting point with each row

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24
Q

What are the 12 orders of soil and the suffixes used for their suborders??

A

Alfisol (-alf)
Andisol (-and)
Aridisol (-id)
Entisol (-ent)
Gelisol (-el)
Histisol (-ist)
Inceptisol (-ept)
Mollisol (-oll)
Spodisol (-od)
Ultisol (-ult)
Vertisol (-ert)
Oxisol (-Ox)

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25
Alfisol (-Alf) (5 characteristics)
Soil order -light in color -moist -shallow -slightly acidic - Vulnerable to erosion Often found in deciduous forests
26
Andisol (-And) (3 Characteristics)
Soil order - Volcanic - Young (5k-10k years old) - Little profile development Good for growing wheat Commonly found in NW U.S., Hawaii, Alaska
27
Aridisol (-Id) (2 Characteristics)
Soil Order - Lacks moisture most of year - Accumulations of calcium carbonite, gypsum, and sodium Found in arid and semi-arid areas, esp. in Western U.S.
28
Entisol (-Ent) (4 Characteristics)
Soil Order - Little no no profile development - Sandy - Rock Close to surface - Usually alluvial parent material Commonly found in Rocky Mountains
29
Gelisol (-El) (4 Characteristics)
Soil Order - Layer of permafrost - Young soil - Little to no profile development - Cryoturbation (movement from freezing/thawing) Found in Alaska
30
Histisol (-Ist) (1 characteristic)
Soil Order - >20% organic matter Very productive once drained Found in wetlands, Florida, Canada, coast
31
Inceptisol (-Ept) (3 characteristics)
Soil Order - Begining profile development - Close to parent material - Clay accumulation Found throughout U.S. , especially in the NE and Alaska
32
Mollisol (-Oll) (3 Characteristics)
Soil Order - Dark prairie soil - Accumulations of organic matter and carbon - Very fertile Best soil for agriculture, commonly used to grow vegetables and flowers Commonly found in the midwest, great plains, E Washington/Oregon, and N Illinois
33
Spodisol (-Od) (4 Characeristics)
Soil Order - Wet, acidic soil - Presence of E horizon - High organic matter content - High iron oxide content Not naturally fertile, but can be made so artificially Found in cold, wet areas, coniferous forests, Canada and NE U.S.
34
Ultisol (-Ult) (4 characteristics)
Soil Order - Older, more developed soil - Acidic - Few available plant nutrients - Resistant to erosion Can be productive, but requires lots of maintenance Found in subtropical forests
35
Vertisol (-Ert) (4 characteristics)
Soil Order - Swelling clay - Dark in color - Cracks when dry - Sticky Can be very fertile Problem for engineers due to movement and stickiness Found in semiarid and subhumid areas, warm places with long dry seasons
36
Oxisol (-Ox) (5 Characteristics)
Soil order - Weathered - High concentrations of iron oxide and aluminum oxide - Moderately Acidic - Resistant to erosion - Not particularly fertile Found in hot climates, such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico
37
Most common orders of soil in Oklahoma
Mollisols Ultisols Alfisols
38
What is the order soil horizons are found in?
O A B E C R
39
O Horizon
Organic Matter on the top of the soil (Optional layer)
40
A Horizon
Topsoil, mix of minerals and organic matter Most living things in soil found here
41
E Horizon
Leached layer consisting of erosion-resistant sand and silt (e.g. sodium or quartz) Often found in old soils and soil in forests (Optional layer)
42
B Horizon
Subsoil, mineral-rich soil, often composed of clay and heavily influenced by climate
43
C Horizon
Young soil made of unconsolidated parent material
44
R Horizon
Bedrock
45
Parallels
Lines of Latitude
46
Latitude parallels of the North and South poles
90* North Pole -90* South Pole
47
Meridians
Lines of Longitude
48
Town Prime meridian passes through and why
Greenwich, England Developed when England was a world power when Prime Meridian established, and Greenwich had an observatory
49
Latitude of equator and longitude of prime meridian
0*
50
Metes and Bounds system
Legal land description system developed by colonial-era Europe, based on physical characteristics of land
51
Rectangular System
Modern land distribution system developed by U.S. public land survey Divided land into equally-sided rectangles
52
Principal Meridians used to divide Oklahoma via Rectangular System
Indian Meridian (Everything but panhandle) Cimarron Meridian (Panhandle)
53
Township
A 6mi X 6mi area of land 36 sq. miles
54
Alluvial/Alluvium
Parent Material Deposit of sediment left by fast-flowing water
55
Lacustrine
Parent Material Deposit of sediment left in the center of slow-moving water (e.g. lake)
56
Colluvial/Colluvium
Parent Material Sediment deposited by gravity
57
Eolian
Parent Material Sand deposited by wind erosion
58
Loess
Parent Material Silt deposited by wind erosion
59
Quarter
160 acres,1/4 sq mi one-quarter of a section Can also be a quarter of a quarter, or 40 acres Or a quarter of a quarter of a quarter, or 10 acres It's turtles all the way down
60
Glacial Till
Parent Material Sediment deposited by movement of glacial ice Characterized by wide variety of sediment from many locations, as well as moraines (ridges)
61
Glacial Outwash
Parent Material Sediment deposited by melted glacier water Highly stratified
62
Residual/Residuum
Parent Material Sediment found in the location formed
63
Organic Deposits/Peat
Parent Material Sediment formed by decomposed organic matter
64
What are the nine parent materials?
- Alluvium - Lacustrine - Colluvial - Glacial Till - Glacial Outwash - Eolian - Loess - Residuum - Organic Deposit
65
Estimated global population by 2050
9.1 billion
66
Estimated percentage by which food production will have to increase to maintain population by 2050
70%
67
Soil Health
The fitness of soil for any of 3 different functions - medium for plant growth - environmental buffer - enhancing health of plants and animals
68
Soil Quality
The capacity of a soil to function within its ecosystem boundaries to promote biological productivity and diversity
69
Indicator
A property of soil that is used to assess soil health and soil quality
70
What are the ten indicators used to rate soil?
- Texture - Depth - Bulk density - Water holding capacity - Soil organic matter (SOM) - pH - Extractible nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium - Microbial biomass - Specific Respiration - Macroorganism quantity
71
Ephemeral Indicator
An indicator that can be changed
72
Intermediate Indicator
An indicator that can be slightly changed
73
Permanent Indicator
An indicator that cannot be changed
74
What six steps can we take to increase soil health?
- Soil cover - Live root system - Grazing animals - Minimizing tillage - Biodiversity/crop rotation - Water management
75
What three factors can cause soil health to continue to decline?
- Population/economy demand - Extent of demand - Lack of global determination to stop environmental degredation
76
Intensified Agroecosystems
Management systems that led to increased food production when the population exploded
77
What were four benefits of intensified agroecosystems?
- Increased plant production per sq. mile - Increased content of N, P, and K - Increased crop residue left in soil - Decreased pressure on fragile land
78
What were seven drawbacks of intensified agroecosystems?
- Nutrient deficiency - Excess nutrients - Decreased pH - Irrigation-induced salinization - Overapplication of chemical pesticides - Decreased biodiversity - Increased rate of plant disease
79
The three types of soil texture
- Sandy - Loamy - Clayey
80
Munsel Color Book
A book used to precisely identify the color of soil

EoSC Spring Semester (13 decks)

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