Biosphere

Question 1

What are the three types of soils that we study?

Answer 1

1. Podzol
2. Brown Earth
3. Gley

Question 2

In a question what are some things you can talk about in your answer relating to the development of a soil?

Answer 2

Vegetation, root length, climate, drainage, colour, texture, horizons, humus, altitude, relief, parent material, time, biota, areobic or anaerobic, permability

Question 3

Describe the key features of a Podzol soil.

Answer 3

-Conefirous forest
-acidic mor humus
- Horizons are well defined
- A horizon is ash grey in colour
-Between a and b an iron pan forms due to leaching
-B horizon is reddish/brown in colour
- C parent material is impermable granite or old volcanic rock.
- short roots allow binding of the soil
- Lack of biota so has well defined horizons
-cold climate
- found at higher altitudes where there is steep slopes
- Drainage is poor and precipitation exceeds evaporation.

Question 4

Describe the key features of a Gley Soil.

Answer 4

• Vegetation is grasses and shrubs
• soil is mildly acidic humus
• Very little leaf litter provided so is infertile clay like soil.
• horizons are well defined as there are no biota to mix the soil.
• Top soil of Gleys is black/charcoal in colour.
• A and B horizons are clay like and impede drainage as clay in impermable.
• Gleys have anaerobic conditions so biota cannot survive.
• B horizon is blue in colour and has blue iron fragments included.
• Burrowing animals leave oxygen pockets which causes the iron to turn brown/red.
• parent material is fluvial sediments.

Question 5

Describe the key features of a Brown Earth soil.

Answer 5

• Vegetation is deciduous forest
• found on gentle slopes where drainage is better
• produces a vast amount of leaf litter and humus in not acidic which is mull humus.
• roots are long which mixes the soil
• Vast amounts of soil biota so decomposition is quicker.
• Warmer climates and less rainfall so leaching does not occur
• A horizon is dark brown in colour and is loamy
• B horizon is light brown in colour.
• The soil is very drainable and has a sandy texture
• C parent parent material is well eroded permable rocks and materials