Zonal soils

Question 1

what is soil made up of?

Answer 1

soil is made up of:
25% -air
25%-water
45%- mineral particles
5%- other including- 10% organisms
-10% roots
-80% humus

Question 2

what is a zonal soil?

Answer 2

• a zonal soil is a soil that has distinguishable horizons and has the ability to support rooted plants

Question 3

Why is soil important?

Answer 3

• sustains 95% of food production
  -hosts more than 25% of the planets biodiversity
  -plays a critical role in the carbon cycle
  -sustainable soil management can contribute to more and healthier food
  -soil degradation threatens food security

Question 4

what are some examples on zonal soils?

Answer 4

• tropical red latosol
  -podzol
  -Mediterranean soils
  -Chernozems
  -Chestnut soils

Question 5

what are the features of a Tropical red Latosol?

Answer 5

-up to 30m deep
-top la hoyer red colour, bottom layer yellow colour
-red colour due to build up of iron and aluminium oxide
-yellow colour is a result of silica deposit
-tropical equatorial rainforests are found here and their leaf shed creates the thin top humus layer
-found 5 degrees either side of the equatorial belt

Question 6

what are features of a Podzol soil?

Answer 6

-1m deep
-clear
-podzols are associated with coniferous evergreen trees so the top layer is usually a thin layer of pine needles
-bleached horizons going downwards as finer material is washed downwards
-they often have a hard pan layer of aluminium
the podsolization process requires a general downward movement of water through the soil. However precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration because of low temperatures.