Soil Resources

Question 1

study of different kinds of soils and their characteristics

Answer 1

Pedology

Question 2

loose surface material that covers most land. It consists of rock fragments, mineral grains, organic debris, and presence of moisture

Answer 2

Soil

Question 3

plays a vital role in soil formation

Answer 3

Weathering

Question 4

An important product of weathering and a mixture of weathered rock fragments, organic materials, grains of minerals, and moisture

Answer 4

Soil

Question 5

region of loose unconsolidated rock and dust that sits atop a layer of bedrock

Answer 5

Regolith

Question 6

a biologically active medium and a key component in plant growth

Answer 6

Soil

Question 7

slow process which is almost 3 cm per hundred of years

Answer 7

Soil formation

Question 8

Soil formation is a slow process which is almost __ per __ of years

Answer 8

3cm, hundred

Question 9

Major Layers of Soil

Answer 9

Topsoil
Subsoil
Bedrock

Question 10

contains small rock particles and decayed matter called humus

Answer 10

Topsoil

Question 11

small rock particles and decayed matter

Answer 11

humus

Question 12

beneath the topsoil and made up mostly of pebbles

Answer 12

Subsoil

Question 13

formed when solid rock breaks up and poorest material in soil

Answer 13

Bedrock

Question 14

Layers of the Soil

Answer 14

O Horizon - Surface Litter
A Horizon - Topsoil
E Horizon - Zone on leaching
B Horizon - Subsoil
C Horizon - Parent material
Bedrock

Question 15

topmost layer where leaves and organic matter decompose and forms the humus

Answer 15

O Horizon

Question 16

where we plant our seeds because it is rich in minerals and humus. It is soft and porous so that plants can stretch their roots with ease

Answer 16

A Horizon - Topsoil

Question 17

hard and compact so only the roots of big plants can reach this far down

rich in mineral deposits and clay

Answer 17

B Horizon - Subsoil

Question 18

layer of weathered parent rock and has no organic matter

Answer 18

C Horizon - Regolith

Question 19

hardest layer and consists of the unweathered parent rock which supports all layers above it

Answer 19

Bedrock

Question 20

layer of soil bet. A and B Horizon

Answer 20

Eluviation layer - E Horizon

Question 21

light-colored layer that contains little organic matter

water percolates downward through this horizon so finer particles are carried or washed away

water also dissolves soluble inorganic soil components and carries them to deeper zones called leaching

Answer 21

E Horizon

Question 22

the deeper zone where water dissolves soluble inorganic soil components

Answer 22

Leaching

Question 23

Seven Types of Soil

Answer 23

Sandy
Silty
Clay
Loamy
Peaty
Chalky
Alkaline

Question 24

most porous soil and has bigger particles

allows water to drain easily

warms very fast during spring

Answer 24

Sandy

Question 25

soil that is easier to cultivate because of the organic material, nutrients, and moisture

Answer 25

silty

Question 26

smooth to touch and very fertile retains water pretty well can hold more moisture which makes it much easier to work with

Answer 26

Silty

Question 27

have smallest or fine particles greater water retaining capacity rich in mineral content becomes heavy when wet and difficult to cultivate

Answer 27

Clay

Question 28

Combination of silt, sand, clay, and little humus very good for gardening retains water very easily

Answer 28

Loamy

Question 29

Loamy soil is a combination of, __, __, __, and little __

Answer 29

silt, sand, clay, humus

Question 30

dark brown soil saturated with water and rich in organic material great and very good for soil growing plants contains fewer nutrients and prone to waterlogging found mostly in swamps and muddy places where the climate is wet

Answer 30

Peaty

Question 31

found over limestone beds and deep chalk deposits needs more watering and fertilizers because it is prone to dryness not good for plants because it blocks nutrients

Answer 31

Chalky

Question 32

has a pH above 7 and relatively a concentration of hydrogen ions found mostly in western soils

Answer 32

Alkaline

Question 33

Factors that control soil formation

Answer 33

Parent material Time Climate Plants and Animals Slope

Question 34

can be a bedrock or layer of unconsolidated deposits nature of __ influences soils by its rate of weathering and its chemical make-up affects soil's fertility (factors)

Answer 34

Parent Material

Question 35

the longer the soil has been forming, the thicker it becomes and the less it resembles the parent material (factors)

Answer 35

Time

Question 36

most influential control of soil formation, temperature, and precipitation exerts strongest impact (factors)

Answer 36

Climate

Question 37

__, __ climate may produce a thick layer of chemically weathered soil in the same amount of time that a __, __, climate produces a thin layer of mechanically weathered debris

Answer 37

hot, wet :: cold, dry

Question 38

amount of precipitation influences the degree to which various materials are removed (leached) from the soil affecting soil fertility controls the type of plants and animals present in area (factors)

Answer 38

Climate

Question 39

its function is to furnish organic matter to the soil when organic matter decomposes, important nutrients are supplied to plants, as well as animal and microorganisms in the soil (factors)

Answer 39

Plants and Animals

Question 40

plays an active role in the decay of plants and animal remains and some of them aid in soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds

Answer 40

Microorganisms

Question 41

earthworms and other burrowing animals act to mix the mineral and organic portions of a soil burrows and holes also aid in the passage of water and air through the soil (factors)

Answer 41

Plants and Animals

Question 42

has a significant impact on the amount of erosion and the water content of the soil

Answer 42

Slope of the Land

Question 43

on __ slopes, soils are often poorly developed little water can soak in so soil moisture may be insufficient for plant growth

Answer 43

Steep

Question 44

poorly drained and water-logged soils in __ slopes are usually thick and dark because of organic matter that accumulates because saturated conditions retard the decay of vegetation

Answer 44

low

Question 45

usually form in temperate areas that receive more than 63 cm of rain each year

Answer 45

Pedalfers

Question 46

Humus and leached soil (quartz and clay minerals present) Some iron and aluminum oxidesprecipitated; all soluble materials, such as carbonates, leached away

Answer 46

Pedalfers

Question 47

this soil type is present in Eastern US, most often in forested areas

Answer 47

Pedalfers

Question 48

In the B horizon, __ contains large amounts of iron oxides and aluminum-rich clays giving it a brown-red color

Answer 48

Pedalfers

Question 49

found in the dryer western US in areas that have grasses and brush vegetation Because chemical weather is slower in dry climates, __ generally contains less clay than pedalfers

Answer 49

Pedocal

Question 50

contains abundant amounts of calcite/calcium carbonate and are typically a light grey-brown in color

Answer 50

Pedocal

Question 51

Humus and leached soil sandstone, shale, and limestone bedrock

Answer 51

Pedocal soil

Question 52

form in hot, wet, tropical areas. Chemical weathering is intense go deeper than soils that develop in other areas over the same amount of time large amounts of water in these climates filters out the calcite and silica in these soils washing them out when it rains distinctive red color because of iron oxide contains almost no organic materials (thus, less nutrients poorest soils for farming

Answer 52

Laterite

Question 53

Soil Composition percentage

Answer 53

45% minerals 25% air 25% water 5% organic matter

Question 54

good type of soil for plant growth requirements is __ consists of large amount of organic matter that enhances the soil composition

Answer 54

humus

Question 55

maximum fertility of the soil has pH range of

Answer 55

6.0 pH - 7.2 pH