Soil As A Medium For Plant Growth

Question 1

____ compose ______ of dry matter of plants

Answer 1

CHO
90%

Question 2

List the three phases of soil

Answer 2

Air 25%
Water 25%
Solids 50%

Question 3

What is Mass Flow
List the nutrients involved

Answer 3

Water soluble nutrients are carried with the flow of water
Nitrogen, Mg, S, Ca

Question 4

What is Diffusion
List the nutrients involved

Answer 4

Nutrients move as a result of concentration (Root interception)
K, P

Question 5

List the soil 6 forming factors

Answer 5

1. Parent material
2. Climate
3. Temperature
4. Organisms
5. Topography
6. Time

Question 6

List the four important factors that the soil provides plants for growth

Answer 6

1. Support
2. Oxygen
3. Ions
4. Liquid

Question 7

What are the 6 types of soil transportation

Answer 7

1. Colluvial
2. Alluvial
3. Marine
4. Lacutrine
5. Eolian
6. Glacial

Question 8

___ of soil develops from _____

Answer 8

99%
Parent material

Question 9

Other _____ developed in ______

Answer 9

1%
Organic materials

Question 10

South/west slopes have…..

Answer 10

Thinner profiles

Question 11

North/East slopes have….

Answer 11

Deeper profiles

Question 12

What are the 4 Soil Forming Processes
(Pedegenic)

Answer 12

1. Additions
2. Losses
3. Translocations
4. Transformation

Question 13

What is the difference between Muck & Peat

Answer 13

Muck- OM residues altered beyond recognition
Peat- Undecomposed or slightly decomposed OM; still recognizable

Question 14

What is the difference between humus & crop residue

Answer 14

Humus- fully decomposed
Crop residue- in process of decomposing

Question 15

What are the primary nutrients

Answer 15

N, P, K

Question 16

What are the secondary nutrients

Answer 16

Ca, Mg, S

Question 17

Saturation can best be described as…

Answer 17

Water filled MACROpores, air filled MICROpores

Question 18

Glacial till parent material is….

Answer 18

Heterogenous

Other materials pushed into it

Question 19

Name the different soil horizons in order and their characteristics

Answer 19

O- organic material
A- accumulation of OM (dark surface horizon)
E- Eluviation; process of removal
B- Illuviation
C- slightly altered parent material
R- Not for hand digging (hard bedrock)

Question 20

Sand settles after ______

Answer 20

40 sec

Question 21

Silt settles after _____

Answer 21

8 hrs

Question 22

Clay settles after _____

Answer 22

Never

Question 23

What is Stokes law

Answer 23

If particles are in Water the LARGEST particles will fall out at the fastest rate

Question 24

What determines soil structure

Answer 24

Size and shape of PEDS

Question 25

____ spaces allow ____ textured soils to ____ & allow ______

Answer 25

Large Finer Drain rapidly Root penetration

Question 26

What is the most important part of soil texture

Answer 26

Pore spaces between particles

Question 27

What is the most important property for use interpretation

Answer 27

Pore spaces between particles

Question 28

As bulk density _____ porosity _____

Answer 28

Increases Decreases

Question 29

What is the difference between Bulk density and Particle density

Answer 29

Bulk density includes voids and spaces Particle density focuses on particles only

Question 30

What is Histosol

Answer 30

Organic soil

Question 31

When soil compacts, bulk density _____, which _____ MICROpore space

Answer 31

Increases Increases

Question 32

What is Inceptisol

Answer 32

Very young soil

Question 33

Why does Porosity decrease when Bulk density Increase

Answer 33

When soil is compacted, the pore spaces get smaller

Question 34

How does compaction affect Bulk Density Why?

Answer 34

Bulk density increases Since the soil is being pushed together it's more dense

Question 35

How can you increase Bulk Density

Answer 35

Compact soil

Question 36

How can you decrease Bulk Density Why?

Answer 36

Cultivation It breaks up the particles and it loses it's compaction so there are more spaces

Question 37

How does structure and texture affect Porosity

Answer 37

Texture has different sized particles Ex. Finer soils have smaller pore spaces but they have a lot so they have more porosity