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39 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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· Soil:
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· Soil: natural medium for plant growth composed of mineral matter and organic matter which constitute the solid phase of soil which defines the pour space which will be occupied by the liquid and gaseous phases.
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· Phases of Soil:
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· Phases of Soil:
§ Liquid § Gaseous § Solid |
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· Mineral matter
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· Mineral matter
§ Consist of many elements which combine to form compounds which combine to form minerals. |
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· Elements in the soil can be classified as:
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Plant nutrients:
Non Plant nutrients: |
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Plant nutrients:
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1. Plant nutrients: are required by plants for growth/development. There are 18 plant nutrients
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Non Plant nutrients:
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2. Non Plant nutrients: plants may take these up from the soil but they are not needed for growth or development of the plant.
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Macro Nutrients:
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1. Macro Nutrients: Plants require a lot (in fact the lowest amount of macro nutrient used is 10 times greater than the greatest micronutrient.)
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Micronutrients:
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2. Micronutrients: Plants require very little of these nutrients
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Ion:
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charged Particle
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Cations
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1) (+) charge are called Cations
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Anion
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2) (-) charge are called Anion
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Complex Ion
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Complex Ion: Are Composed of two or more elements:
Example |
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Atmosphere
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Atmosphere: Soil, Air
Carbon dioxide <1% Oxygen 21% Nitrogen 78% |
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Lithosphere
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Lithosphere: Rock
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Biosphere:
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Biosphere: plants and animals all living things
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Hydrosphere
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Hydrosphere: water and dissolved substances
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Regolith
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Regolith: is the unconsolidated debris overlying the hard unweathered rock.
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Saprolite
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Saprolite: is the unweathered rock that has become weathered to point that it can be dug with a spade.
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Soil Horizons
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Soil Horizons: contrasting layers of soil in the upper regolith
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Pedology
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Pedology: the study of soil
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Why must we characterize or classify soils in terms of the solid phase rather than the liquid or gaseous phases if the characterization is to be of lasting significance?
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We must classify soils in terms of the solid phase because the solid phase remains constant while the liquid and gaseous phases change constantly.
Jerry's Answer: Solid phase fairly constant but liquid and gas are in constant flux. Organic and mineral sections |
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When a soil profile is divided into sections, what are these horizontal layers called?
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Soil Profile: is a pit dug to study soil because it shows the horizons.
Horizons: § Master horizons: Are Designated by capital letters. □ O: Organic Horizon: takes a minimum of 10-15 years to cultivate. ® Very noticeable in forest. organic material □ A: Top Soil: high in organic matter, darker in color and dominated by mineral matter □ E:Transition horizon exist between A&B and it is a zone of illuviation. It tends to be soluble like lime and it seeps out of A and makes a layer which forms between A &B □ B:Subsoil; tend to collect clays and iron oxides □ C: Parent Material: is the very bottom of the Regolith and just before bedrock. § Sub Horizons: □ AB: transitional horizon where its more like A than B. □ BA: More like B than an A |
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list all the Horizons:
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§ Master horizons: Are Designated by capital letters.
□ O: Organic Horizon: takes a minimum of 10-15 years to cultivate. ® Very noticeable in forest. organic material □ A: Top Soil: high in organic matter, darker in color and dominated by mineral matter □ E:Transition horizon exist between A&B and it is a zone of illuviation. It tends to be soluble like lime and it seeps out of A and makes a layer which forms between A &B □ B:Subsoil; tend to collect clays and iron oxides □ C: Parent Material: is the very bottom of the Regolith and just before bedrock. § Sub Horizons: □ AB: transitional horizon where its more like A than B. □ BA: More like B than an A |
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O horizon
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Organic Horizon: takes a minimum of 10-15 years to cultivate.
® Very noticeable in forest. organic material |
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A horizon
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□ A: Top Soil: high in organic matter, darker in color and dominated by mineral matter
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E Horizons
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E:Transition horizon exist between A&B and it is a zone of illuviation. It tends to be soluble like lime and it seeps out of A and makes a layer which forms between A &B
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B Horizons
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□ B:Subsoil; tend to collect clays and iron oxides
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C Horizons
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□ C: Parent Material: is the very bottom of the Regolith and just before bedrock.
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AB horizons
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□ AB: transitional horizon where its more like A than B.
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BA horizons
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□ BA: More like B than an A
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What observation, as related to maturity of the soil, might be made if a profile has a greater number of these horizontal layers versus one with fewer layers?
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Areas with more layers tend to be more mature while areas with less are less mature.
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3. Identify and describe two major functions of soils in our ecosystem.
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First: soil supports the growth of higher plants through ventilation, water holding capacity, moderating temperature fluctuations, and supplying mineral nutrients.
Second: Soil Properties are the principle factor controlling the fate of water in the hydrologic system. Soil filters water as it makes its way to rivers and into other parts of the hydrologic system. Reservoir and filtration system for water Third: soil functions as natures recycling system creating the humus from organic products suchas: dead bodies, plant and Katie molly. Fourth: Soils provide habitats for a myriad of living organisms, from small mammals and reptiles to tiny insects. Fifth: Soil plays an important role as an engineering medium. It is important to understand properties such as bearing strength, compressibility, shear strength and stability of the soil. |
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What is the general relationship between the size particles a soil contains and its ability to hold ions and water?
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The relationship between particle size and the ability of soil to hold water and ions is as follows. As the size of particles in the soil decreases the ability of that soil to hold water and ions increases.
Sand, Silt and Clay size particles. C.E.C: Cation Exchange Capacity (very important) is a measurment of how many cations soil can hold. Just send it to a lab. |
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5. What is the normal percentage range of organic matter content in the A horizon of mineral soils?
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1-6% organic matter or in Walla Walla Agriculture soils it tends to be around .5-5%
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6. What is the basis for distinguishing a macronutrient from a micronutrient?
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Macronutrients: are used in large amounts by the plants(>.1% of dry plant tissue)
Micronutrients: are used in small amounts by the plants(<.1% of dry plant tissue) You must know everything about these: 9 macros of these 3 come from the air 6 are micro 3 are primary N&P&K 3 are secondary Nitrogen is important know all forms its on the test Complex Ions Phosphorus: anion or cation K: Potassium S: sulfur: bisulfate Memorize this shit no problem Micro nutrients 9 |
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What is the primary environmental factor determining the type of soil formed in a given area?
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Climate
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8. What are the three major gases which comprise the soil atmosphere? Which of the three is the primary one absorbed by plant roots?
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Carbon Dioxide, Oxygen, Nitrogen of these three Oxygen is absorbed in the highest abundance.
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9. In General, what happens to the percentage of soils volume occupied by each of the three soil phases as we change from a medium to a coarse texture soil?
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○ As particle size increases the % Pour space (gaseous and liquid phase) decrease, while the % solid phase increases.
○ As Particle size decreases the % pour space increases while the % solid phase decreases. |
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In What three basic forms do nutrient cations occur in the soil?
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In soil Nutrient cations occur in the Mineral, exchange site and the solution form.
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