Lab 3 & 4

Question 1

What is CEC?

Answer 1

Cation Exchange Capactiy

Question 2

What allows a soil to hold more nutrients (ex. calcium)?

Answer 2

more base cations in a neutral pH soil

Question 3

What do more base cations in a neutral pH soil indicate about the soil?

Answer 3

It is less weathered and has a greater CEC

Question 4

More clay =

Answer 4

greater CEC

Question 5

What do neutral soils have more base cations?

Answer 5

They tend to be leached out of acid soils

Question 6

If calcium is leached out this indicated that the calcium was in what chemical form?

Answer 6

Soluble ion in soil solution

Question 7

What is flocculation?

Answer 7

the first step in promoting soil structure and good soil structure provides a well aerated soil through which water can permeate.

Question 8

What does flocculation do?

Answer 8

it brings clay platelets together, the higher they are charged the faster they fall

Question 9

What is the equation for pH?

Answer 9

pH = -log [H+] ex. if [H+] = 10^-5 M log 10^-5 = -5 pH = 5

Question 10

Why is more CO2 produced when there is a low C:N ratio?

Answer 10

because the organisms don’t have to look for N

Question 11

What is the limit of a good C:N ration

Answer 11

25, anything higher than this and there is not enough N to break down the C and they have to look for it other places