Soil 1&2 Flashcards
(30 cards)
Infiltration in soil is…
Water being absorbed, stored and filtered in the substrate
Pedon is…
Any body of soil in a place
Humipedon
The topmost layer of soil, contains mostly organic matter
Copedon
Middle layer of the pedon containing mostly mineral soil with some organics
Lithopedon
The bottommost layer of soil, more than 50% is unbroken bedrock
Igneous rocks are…
Formed from cooling magma or lava, including granite, obsidian, basalt
Metamorphic rocks are…
Rocks that were altered by heat and pressure into new formations
Sedimentary rocks are…
Were deposited as sand and clay before being compressed into solid rock
Minerals are…
Stable natural molecular combinations of oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium
Silicates are…
The most common minerals on earth, comprised mostly of oxygen and silicon.
Weathering describes…
Large pieces of rocks are broken down into smaller rocks by physical or chemical processes.
Erosion describes…
The transport of weathered particles by wind or water
A regolith is…
A layer of unconsolidated loose material covering bedrock.
Loess
Windblown silt formed during glacial periods
Alluvium
Sediment deposited by running water.
Soil seperates are…
The minerals that make up soil in different sized particles.
In order of largest to smallest
Sand
Silt
Clay
The ideal growing soil is referred to as…
Loam
Humus is…
Highly rotted organic matter of soil.
Called “muck” in wetlands
Peat is…
Humus in which the plant parts are still distinguishable
The 3 most important nutrients for plants are
Nitrogen (N) phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)
Soil horizons are..
Layers which form based on the size of particles and their source, seperated into: O,A,B,C,D,E layers
O layer soil horizon is…
Organic layer
A layer soil horizon is…
Topsoil layer
B layer soil horizon is…
Subsoil layer: clay and minerals (no organic) are compacted
