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28 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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horizons |
Horizontal layers in the soil |
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soil profile |
A description of the different naturally formed layers, called horizons, in the soil |
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o horizon |
Consists of dead organic matter |
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a horizon |
the topsoil which is mixed with humus and leached mineral soil |
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top soil |
Is also called the A horizon |
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e horizon |
Zone of leaching where their is less humus and minerals or resistant to leaching |
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b horizion |
Is the subsoil where there is an accumulation of leached minerals like iron and aluminum oxides. |
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subsoil |
frequently known as the B horizon, often high in clay and is reddish or yellow in color |
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c horizion |
Horizon where their are weathered parent material |
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soil texture |
The mineral material of soil |
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soil fertility |
the soils ability to support plant growth (often refers specifically to the presence of proper amounts of nutrients |
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weathering |
gradual physical or chemical breakdown |
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leaching |
Process by which nutrients are washed away from the soil as water moves through it |
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nutrient-holding or ion-exchange capacity |
soils capacity to bind and hold nutrient ions until they are absorbed by roots |
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fertilizer |
materials that contain one or more of the necessary nutrients |
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organic fertilizer |
fertilizer that includes plants or animal wastes or both |
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inorganic fertilizer |
fertilizers that are chemical formulations of required nutrients, without any organic fertilizer included |
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water holding capacity |
the soils ability to hold water after it has been infiltrated |
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evaporative water loss |
kind of evaporation that depletes the soil's water reservoir without serving needs of plants |
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soil aeration |
Process in which soil and porous soil allows oxygen to diffuse into the soil and releases carbon from the soil |
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compaction |
packing of the soil |
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pH |
refers to the acidity or alkalinity of any solution |
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erosion |
the process of soil particles being carried away by wind or water |
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desertification |
the formation and expansion of degraded areas of soil and vegetation cover in arid, semi arid, and seasonally dry areas, caused by climatic variations and human activities. |
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overcultivation |
the practice of repeated cultivation and growing of crops more rapidly than the soil can regenerate, leading to a decline in soil quality and productivity. |
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overgrazing |
the phenomenon of animals grazing in greater number than the land can support in the long term |
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deforestation |
the process of removing trees and other vegetation covering the soil, leading to erosion and loss of soil fertility |
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salinization |
the process whereby soil becomes saltier and saltier until, finally, the salt prevents the growth of plants |
