Soil Morphology Lab

Front 1

What are 3 ways to describe soil profiles?

Back 1

Texture, Structure, color

Front 2

Texture:

Back 2

concerned with the size of the particles

Front 3

What are the 6 types Soil Structure:

Back 3

Spheroidal:
Platelike: .
BlockLike:
Subangular:
Prismlike:
Columnar:

Front 4

Dark Brown near surface

Back 4

humus

Front 5

Yellow and Reddish

Back 5

ferric Oxidized iron (aerated soils well drained)

Front 6

Grey

Back 6

ferrous (may indicate saturation aeration is poor)

Front 7

Mottled soil

Back 7

indicates a zone of alternate oxidizing and reducing conditions caused by seasonal fluctuations of the water table.

Front 8

Whitish-grey

Back 8

Near Surface= a layer of extensive leaching (Albic Horizon)
Subsurface: accumulation of lime found in arid climates

Front 9

Munsell Color Classification

Back 9

is a standardized color designation that specifies the relative degree of the three properties of color.

Front 10

What are three properties of Color?

Back 10

Hue, Value and Chroma

Front 11

Hue:

Back 11

Dominant wave length of light

Front 12

Value:

Back 12

quality of light

Front 13

Chroma:

Back 13

purity of light

Front 14

List the three components of soil Texture:

Back 14

Sand Silt And Clay

Front 15

How does the texture of surface horizons compare with the texture of subsurface horizons?

Back 15

Subsurface textures tend to collect finer particles as the soil weathers. Subsurface soils tend to have a smoother texture.

Front 16

When manipulating a moist soil sample, you observe noticeable grittiness, yet you are able to form a ribbon of 4 inches consistently. What is the probable textural class for this?

Back 16

Sandy Clay

Front 17

Which type of structure is most common in surface soil? What soil constituent is most important in the formation of structure in surface horizons?

Back 17

Granular (spheroidal) is the most common in surface soils. The most important soil constituent is organic substances.

Front 18

What type of structure are most common in subsurface soil? Why do they form?

Back 18

Blocklike, Subangular, Prismlike, columnar
It takes time and pressure to form these structures and less disturbance. And the illuviation of clay.

Front 19

What is the significance of structure to plant growth?

Back 19

Soil Structure affects the movement of water, air and roots through the soil.

Front 20

In General how do surface colors compare with subsurface colors?

Back 20

In general it goes from Dark to light the deeper you go.

Front 21

Name five soil constituents and the soil color you would expect them to be associated with?

Back 21

Dark Brown near surface = humus
Yellow and Reddish = ferric Oxidized iron (aerated soils well drained)
Grey= ferrous (may indicate saturation aeration is poor)
Mottled soil: indicates a zone of alternate oxidizing and reducing conditions caused by seasonal fluctuations of the water table.
Whitish-grey soils=
Near Surface= a layer of extensive leaching (Albic Horizon)
Subsurface: accumulation of lime found in arid climates

Front 22

What is the significance of mottles in making interpretation for soil use and management?

Back 22

It is a strong indication of seasonal changes in the water table