Soils self-quiz Flashcards
Which soil is the least developed of the soils in Canada?
Brunisols
Brunisols come from […] and can form […] and […] (soil types)
Regosol, luvisol (less acidic), podzol (more acidic)
Where are Brunisols found?
In dry and cold regions - Northern Canada.
What type of ecosystem is associated with Brunisols?
Coniferous and mixed coniferous/deciduous forests
Are Brunisols old or young soils? Explain the impact this has on their structure.
They are young soils. As a result, they are shallow; this is because they are hard to whether due to the presence of igneous rock and gravel.
Are Brunisols nutrient rich or nutrient poor? Explain why.
They are rich in nutrients, because they formed on igneous rock that was ground away by glaciers.
What is the dominant process in Brunisols? Explain why.
Physical weathering, because they are found in cool regions.
What is the texture of brunisols? How does this impact their drainage?
Brunisols are sandy, so they have good drainage.
Describe the horizonation of brunisols.
They are young, so they have poor horizonation. They don’t have a clear B horizon, although they do have an E horizon.
Where are Podzols found?
They are found in mixed - dominant conifer forests in cold and temperate climates. They are dominant in Quebec and in BC.
Podzols were formed by the process of […]
Wave action sorting igneous material of the old sand beaches.
What is the relationship between podzols and brunisols? Explain.
Podzols form from Brunisols (same parent material), but since they are in areas with more precipitation, they are more mature with a more developed B horizon.
What is the texture of podzols? How does this affect their drainage?
They are sandy, which makes them well to moderately well drained.
Describe the horizonation of podzols.
They have more defined horizons because they are older, so they have a well-defined E horizon and a red B horizon rich in oxidized iron and aluminum.
Are podzols basic or acidic? Explain why.
They are acidic, because they were formed on an acidic parent material and because the coniferous vegetation above tends to be acidic as well.
What is the parent material of podzols?
Igneous rock.
Where are luvisols found?
They are found in moderate and cool moist climates, mainly in the prairies.
What is the texture of luvisols? How does this affect their drainage?
They are loamy (clay and silt mix), giving them good drainage and making them good for agriculture.
What is the parent material of luvisols?
Sedimentary rocks and marine beds.
What is the relationship between luvisols and podzols?
They both come from brunisol, but luvisols were formed from sedimentary rock parent material, while podzols were formed from igneous rock parent material.
Describe the horizonation of luvisols.
They have a very clay-rich B horizon and have an E horizon.
Are luvisols acidic or basic soils? Explain why.
They are neutral to basic, because their parent material (limestone) is rich in Ca and Mg.
Where is chernozem found?
It is found in cool, semi-arid regions where the vegetation is grassland. It is only present in the prairies and parts of interior BC.
What is the major diagnostic feature of chernozem?
Its dark and thick A horizon due to the high organic carbon content.
How much organic carbon do chernozems have.
2-17% in their A horizon.
Describe the structure of chernozems and how it affects their drainage.
They have a strong aggregate structure (roots go deep and lots of OM), so they are well- to imperfectly drained soils.
Describe the horizonation of chernozems.
They have a lot of calcium in the B and C horizons due to the movement of dissolved salts from the A horizon.
What is the parent material of gleysols?
Marine clay deposits from old Champlain sea beds.
Describe the texture of gleysols and how this affects their drainage.
Because they are clay-based soils, their drainage is poor, and they are often waterlogged.
What type of ecosystems are gleysols associated with?
Wetland or forest
What is the diagnostic feature of gleysols?
They are saturated with water and display mottling, meaning red and blue colours from redox reactions (mainly reducing conditions, greyness)
Are gleysols acidic or neutral?
They are acidic to neutral near the surface, with a higher pH in the subsurface.
Where are croyosols found?
In the northern third of Canada, where the mean annual soil temperature is <0 degrees.
What is the major characteristic of cryosols?
They have permafrost within 1 m of the surface.
Are cryosols carbon rich or poor? Explain why.
They are very carbon rich because although primary productivity is low, decomposition is also low.
Describe the horizonization of cryosols.
They include the active layer, the zone of cryoturbation, and the permafrost zone.
What is the distinguishing characteristic of organic soils?
They contain more than 17% organic C and have a minimum of 40 cm of peat.
Where are organic soils found?
In wetlands, such as the Hudson Bay.
Describe the horizonation of organic soils.
They consist of L, F, and H horizons based on the amount of decomposition and age.
