Test 2 Flashcards
the bulk of gaseous interchange in soils takes place by ___?
diffusion
a well aerated soil is characterized by a relative abundance of ___?
NO3 ions
Compared to upland soils, weland soils would be characterized by an abundance of ___?
methane
the following is the reduced form of th essential element depicted.
NH4+
The redox potential is a measure of ___?
the tendency of a substance to accept or donate electrons
Soil A has a redox potential of 400mV, soil B -200mV. Of the two soils, soil A is more apt to be characterized by an abundance of ___?
molecular oxygen
the partial pressure of oxygen in the atmosphere is 0.21 bar and that of nitrogen 0.78, Which of the following partial pressure levels would you expect to find in the pores of moderately well drained soil?
.15 oxygen
if you owned a dairy farm with poorly drained clay soils in a humid temperature region which of the following would be most satisfactory from the standpoint of soil aeration and temperature?
ridge till system
which of the following processes are most apt to encourage good soil aeration?
creation of more macropores
forest fires result in sufficiently high soil temperatures to cause vaporization and movement of certain organic compounds in soils. the main effect of these compounds is to ___?
reduce the water infiltration and percolation through the profile
which of the following is considered necessary features for an area to delineated as wetland?
hydric soils
A mineral soil has a water content of 25kg water per 100 kg dry soil. what is the approximate specific heat of this soil, expressed in calories per kilogram
360
the primary characteristic of subsoils that accounts for the ability of a grand circulation heat pumps to moderate temperatures in houses in both summer and winter is
the high specific heat of the soil
Soils rich in which type of clay would provide the most troublesome site on which to build a home?
smectite
If you were looking for a soil with high CEC and were not concerned with the soils physical properties which of the following would most likely fit your needs?
Mollisol
The negative charges associated with semectite clay crystals are due mostly to_____.
isomorphous substitution of Mg for Al in the octahedral sheet
You are working with a soil colloid known to have a reasonably high potassium level a CEC of about 20cmol/kg of clay and little tendency to swell when wetted. Which of the following is it most apt to be the dominant clay material in this soil?
fine-grained mica
Which cation would you expect to be most tightly held in a soil at pH 4.5?
Al+++
If you were seeking a soil colloid with high capacity to adsorb cationic pollutants, but also with a consistent capacity to doso even as the pH varied from 4.0 to 7.5, which of the following would you choose?
montmorillonite
The electronegative charge on 2:1 type silicate clays is due primarily to _____.