soil conserving

Question 1

What Is the physical structure of soil

Answer 1

Parent Material and organic material

Question 2

Soil consists of four main parts what are they and what percentage of soil do they make up

Answer 2

Air -25%
Mineral grains- 45%
Organic matter -5%
Water-25%

Question 3

How is sand formed

Answer 3

As rock surfaces weather and erode, small particles of sand are formed

Question 4

How is silt formed

Answer 4

When the particles enter the water system

Question 5

How is clay formed

Answer 5

If the particles are transported to a moist climate

Question 6

Plants need what around their roots in order to thrive

Answer 6

Air

Question 7

What do the plants need that’s in the air

Answer 7

Carbon dioxide

Question 8

What happens when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water

Answer 8

It creates carbonic acid

Question 9

What does water do to soil

Answer 9

It dissolves the nutrients in the soil so that the roots can absorb them

Question 10

What does soil do

Answer 10

• filters water
• decomposes waste
• stores heat
• exchanges gasses

Question 11

Half the volume of soil is what

Answer 11

Pore space

Question 12

What are the techniques recommended to conserve soil

Answer 12

1) lengthen crop rotations by adding high residue crops
2) use cover crops when possible
3) reduce tillage (continuous no till)
4) rotate livestock among pastures
5) use mulch anywhere you have bare soil

Question 13

What is shelter Belts

Answer 13

Are 3 lines of trees that are planted around edges of a field to prevent wind from blowing soil away

Question 14

What are some advantages of shelter belts

Answer 14

• very easy
• inexpensive
• basically one full step until process is completed

Question 15

What are some disadvantages of shelter belts

Answer 15

No main disadvantages

Question 16

What is zero tillage

Answer 16

When machines are not taken onto the fields unless absolutely necessary.

Question 17

Advantages of no tillage

Answer 17

• soil isn’t pressed down

- save money on gas

Question 18

Disadvantages of zero tillage

Answer 18

The stubble may stop seeds from directly into soil

Question 19

What Is crop rotation

Answer 19

Putting different crops on your field each year so you don’t have the same field 2 Years in a row

Question 20

Advantages of crop rotation

Answer 20

• nutrients can build back up

- makes soil last longer

Question 21

Disadvantages of crop rotation

Answer 21

-not all crops are a high price so it hurts farmers profits

Question 22

What is strip farming

Answer 22

Playing different crops in rows in the same field, all crops should be at right angle against the wind

Question 23

Advantages of strip farming

Answer 23

• soil lasts longer

- by planting by the right angle to roots, it holds soil in the right place

Question 24

Disadvantages of strip farming

Answer 24

Way more difficult to harvest the crops b/c you cannot mix them

Question 25

What is irrigation

Answer 25

Watering plants with special sprayers so more food can be grown in drier places

Question 26

advantages of irrigation

Answer 26

more food grows

Question 27

disadvantages of irrigation

Answer 27

costs a lot | uses up fresh water

Question 28

what is the technique of use of specialty farm equipment

Answer 28

the use of special farming equipment that don't cause as much damage to the soil

Question 29

advantages of specialty farming equipment

Answer 29

- cuts weeds and grass without disturbing soil | - soil doesn't get as impacted

Question 30

disadvantages of specialty farming equipment

Answer 30

tools are expensive

Question 31

most cereal crops need at least how much topsoil

Answer 31

18cm

Question 32

how much topsoil do vegetables need

Answer 32

25-30cm

Question 33

T or F, soil renews itself

Answer 33

true

Question 34

in areas with moderate temperatures and moderate precipitation, how many years does it take to build 2.5 cm of soil

Answer 34

500 years

Question 35

in hot, dry places, how many years does it take to build soil

Answer 35

2000 years

Question 36

if the parent material is iron what colour can we expect the soil to be

Answer 36

reddish

Question 37

if the parent material is calcium what colour can we expect the soil to be

Answer 37

whitish

Question 38

what are some of the problems in agriculture

Answer 38

``` mechanization aging population start-up costs erosion and soil damage urbanization ```

Question 39

why is soil formed in layers

Answer 39

the particles that make up soil are deposited at different times and from different places.

Question 40

what do we call these soil layers

Answer 40

horizons

Question 41

what are the 5 horizons

Answer 41

``` O horizon A horizon B horizon C horizon D horizon ```

Question 42

what is the o horizon

Answer 42

organic material that gathers on top of the soil layers

Question 43

what is the A horizon also called

Answer 43

topsoil

Question 44

ideally how deep is the A Horizon

Answer 44

18cm

Question 45

what is the B horizon also called

Answer 45

Subsoil

Question 46

what is the B horizon

Answer 46

an accumulation of finely weathered material that have washed down from the A horizon

Question 47

what does the B horizon act as

Answer 47

a storehouse of nutrients for the A horizon

Question 48

what is the C horizon also called

Answer 48

Regolith

Question 49

what is the D horizon also called

Answer 49

bedrock

Question 50

what is the D horizon

Answer 50

the solid foundation on which all the other layers sit.

Question 51

what is salination (calcification)

Answer 51

the accumulation of soil salts in the topsoil as heat evaporates the moisture out of the soil

Question 52

what is capillary action

Answer 52

as surface water evaporates it is replaced by water further down in the soil profile -nutrients can move upward

Question 53

what is leaching

Answer 53

the process by which mineral salts in the upper horizons are moved downwards