Soils 323 Exam 3

What type of technology can determine point-scale soil moisture?

Spectroscopy

What type of technology can determine field-scale soil moisture?

EM induction and ground-penetration radar

What type of technology can determine global-scale soil moisture?

Hyperspectral, microwave, and thermal satellites

What is the challenge in using the USDA NASS Crop Condition & Soil Moisture Analytics (CASMA)?

Not fine enough data to be useful for specific plots

What is the challenge in using lower orbit satellites?

They’re expensive and it takes a long time to get data on your landWh

What are the benefits with using lower orbit satellites?

Higher resolution data

What is the biggest gap in soil moisture-sensing technologies?

Higher-resolution data that updates hourly to weekly

What are some features of a tropical/subtropical forest?

Hot and wet, average monthly temps over 18C (64F), average annual rainfall more than 1 meter, and large amounts of decaying material

What are some features of a temperate/boreal forest?

Cold and acidic, leaching nutrients downwards, ectomycorrhizal associations, large carbon sinks

What are some features of a temperate broadleaf/mixed forest?

Rich in litter (varying C:N), dead wood material, dead wood is 18% of the C stock, high abundance of decomposers