studying soil scientifically Flashcards
Manufactured fertilizers vs.
organic fertilizers
Do manufactured fertilizers contain carbon?
No
There is ___, ___, and ___ in manufactured fertilizers.
N, P, K (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium)
Do organic fertilizers contain carbon?
Yes
Organic fertilizers come from..
once living or a part of once living
What are some ways scientists describe soil?
Texture(loose, friable, firm), Components(sand, silt, clay), color, consistency(grainy, silky, sticky)
Scientists observations are always..
complete and accurate, describes with detail
Desert-
Western US, dry, sand, no OM, hot, gritty
Forest-
East and East central US, Washington Township, dark brown, OM, good for farming, garden, growing grass for lawn
Grassland-
West central and parts of East central US, little dry, grass grows, lots of OM, dark black soil
Tropical Grassland-
small areas of Western US, reddish color, wet and dry at times, sticky clay, some OM
What does sand, silt, and clay feel like.
Sand-gritty Clay-sticky Silt-flour
What happened in the dust bowl?
Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Nebraska, Drought caused soil to dry and growing non-native plants allowed wind to pick up soil and carry it long distances
Rank particle sizes smallest to largest
Clay, Silt, Sand
What is Organic matter and where does it come from?
OM is made with carbon, comes from anything that has died or a part of something that was alive
Topsoil-
top, most nutrients, most living things
Subsoil-
below topsoil, lighter, clay, dry, very little lives here
Bedrock-
bottom, soil develops from here
What happens when soil is handled poorly by farmers?
Dry out, erosion(wind and water), lose OM
Why do plants not grow after they are planted?
Very little nutrients, little water or sunlight, plants not made for climate, not enough OM
How does someone increase organic matter in soil?
Organic fertilizer, natural fertilizer (manure), growing native plants, leaves and other once living
