Soils Flashcards
What 5 things does soil fertility depend upon?
Soil structure, texture, pH, organic matter and nutrients.
Name 4 soil structures.
Platy structures, prismatic and columnar structures, granular and crumb structures, and blocky structures.
What are granular crumb structures?
Individual particles of sand, silt and clay.
In small almost spherical grains.
Water circulates easily.
Commonly found in the top, A-horizon of the soil profile.
What are blocky structures?
Particles that cling together in nearly square or angular blocks having more or less sharp edges.
Soil resists penetration and the movement of water.
Commonly found in the lower B-horizon layers where soil has accumulated.
What are prismatic and columnar structures?
Particles formed into vertical columns or pillars.
Separated by miniature, but definite vertical cracks.
Water circulates with great difficulty and drainage is poor.
Found in lower, clay rich layers of soil.
What are platy strucutres?
Particles aggregated in thin plates or sheets piled horizontally.
Plates often overlap greatly impairing water circulation.
Commonly found in forest and high latitude soils.
What are soils 5 essential functions?
Cycling nutrients, regulating water, physical stability and support, filtering and buffering potential pollutants, and sustaining plant and animal life.
How much land is it estimated that chernozem covers globally?
Around 230 million hectares, mainly in middle latitudes of Eurasia and North America.
What crops do chernozem soils mainly farm?
Cereals (wheat ,barley, maize), oilseed plants (sunflower, soybean, rapeseed) and potatoes.
Where are chernozem soils found in the world?
Found in regions with continental climates and flat or gently undulating plains with tall grass vegetation.
Do chernozem soils have high or low natural fertility?
High, which attracts modern agriculture, offering a range of uses from arable cropping to cattle ranching. This allows for planting in Spring and Winter.
What nutrients do chernozems have natural high %’s of?
High natural percentages of ammonia and phosphorus.
Where does the name chernozem come from?
Russian ‘black ground’ due to its deep, black soils rich in organic matter.
What are latosols product of?
A hot, wet climate with with thick forest cover.
Where are the most of the nutrients found in latosols?
In the vegetation, not the soils.
