APES - Soil Conservation and Cycles

What are the major causes of soil degredation?

1. Erosion

2. Compaction

3. Nutrient Imbalance

4. Pollution

5. Acidification

6. Water Logging

7. Loss of Soil Biodiversity

8. Increased Salinity

9. Deforestation

10. Tilling

Mnemonic:

Everyday Carla Needs Pickles And Water Literally In Demand Today

Why is soil important?

• store water

• recycle nutrients

• storing carbon

What does grasses and perennial crops do to help restore topsoil?

• longer, thicker roots hold soil and water in place

• they don’t die each year

  • they don’t need to be replanted

    • reduces the need for tilling, less weeds grow, and there is less erosion

What are Prarie Strips?

• small parts of fields planted with native perennial grass and plants that help conserve soil

• they reduce sediment loss from runoff, retain more nitrogen, and provide habitat for pollinators

What is CROP ROTATION?

crops are altered in a field each season

What is an advantage(s) for crop rotation?

reduces the amount of fertilizer needed

What is a disadvantage(s) for crop rotation?

• requires knowledge in plant interactions

  • can be expensive

What is TERRACING

converting steep sloped land into broad level steps

What is an advantage(s) for terracing?

• retains water

  • reduces topsoil erosion by controlling runoff

What is a disadvantage(s) of terracing?

• costly

  • labor intensive

What are SHELTER BELTS/WIND BREAKS?

planting trees around the fields to stop wind erosion

What is an advantage(s) of shelter belts/wind breaks?

• reduces wind erosion

  • provides habitats for birds and insects

What is a disadvantage(s) of shelter belts/wind breaks?

• initial cost of planting trees is expensive

What is CONTOUR PLOWING?

plowing and harvesting is done parallel to the countours of the land

What is an advantage(s) of countour plowing?

• conserves soil

  • prevents erosion by water

What is a disadvantage of contour plowing?

• labor intensive

  • costly

What is INTERCROPPING?

2 or more crop species are planted in the same field to promote a positive interaction between them

What are advantage(s) of intercropping?

• reduces the amount of fertilizer required

What is a disadvantage(s) of intercropping?

• requires knowledge of plant interactions

  • can be labor intensive

What is NO TILL FARMING?

soil is not turned over/plowed between season to reduce topsoil erosion

What is an advantage(s) of no till farming?

• reduces topsoil erosion

  • reduces CO2 emissions

What is an disadvantage(s) of no till farming?

• farmers may need to use herbicides (chemical that kill weeds/ plants) before and after planting crops

Where is Nitrogen gas stored?

in the atmosphere (78%)

What can nitrogen NOT be used for?

• cannot be used as a GAS by PLANTS and ANIMALS

• limiting factor for plant growth

What is Nitrogen essential for?

• proteins

• DNA

• RNA

What is FNAAD?

Fixation

Nitrification

Assimilation

Ammonification

Denitrification

What is ANPAN?

Ammonia

Nitrates, Nitrites

Proteins

Ammonia

Nitrogen Gas

Which is the process and which is the products?

FNAAD = processes

ANPAN = products

Human Impacts of the Nitrogen Cycle

• burning fossil fuels gives off NOx - can lead to the formation of ground-level ozone

• burning fossil fuels releases NO - contributes to the formation of acid rain

• agriculture use of fertilizer/manure and sewage (and waste water from treatment plants) can add excess nitrogen to water causing eutrophication

• clear cutting, harvesting crops, and irrigation can remove/wash away nitrogen from topsoil

  • breakdown of fertilizers can release nitrogen oxide (N2O), a GHG, into the atmosphere

What is ammonification? (NC)

bacteria converts detrius material into ammonia

What is assimilation? (NC)

plants abosorb nitrogen from soil, animals get it by eating plants

• it is used to make protein

What is Nitrogen Fixation>

makes N2 gas usable, done by bacteria in soil or lightning strike, forms ammonia (NH4)

What is Nitrification>

bacteria in soil converts ammonia (NH4) into nitrates NO2 then into nitrites NO3Wha

What is Denitrification?

bacteria converts ammonia/nitrates back into N2 gas and it is released into the atmosphere

What is Ingestion? (NC)

animals consumer plants/animals to absorb nitrogen into their bodies

What is Excretion? (NC)

animals get rid of waste containing nitrogen in the form of ammonia

Which cycle is this?

Nitrogen Cycle

Which cycle is the slowest?

Phophorus

What is NOT a reservoir for the Phophorus cycle?

the atmosphere

What is the Phophorus Cycle’s largest reservoir?

sedimentary rock

What is Phosphorus?

a limiting nutrient for terrestrial and aquatic plants

Where is phosphorus located?

• nucleic acids

• ADP

• ATP

• bones

  • teeth

Human Impacts (PC)

• mined to ADD to artificial fertilizer

• excess fertilizer runoff causes eutrophication

  • clear cutting forests causes phosphates to wash away with soil erosion

What is Phosphate Mining?

phosphates are mined for fertilizer and other products, some phosphate enters runoff

What is Decomposition? (PS)

dead plants and animals are broken down, releasing phosphorus into the soil

What is Excretion? (PC)

animals get rid of waste that can contain phosphorus

What is Geological Uplift? (PC)

phosphorus in sedimentary rock is pushed to the surface

What is Burial and Compaction? (PC)

phosphorus is trapped in sediment layers and compacted into sedimentary rock

What is Erosion? (PC)

weathering releases phosphorus and it is moved by wind and water

What is Ingestion? (PC)

animals consume plants/animals and abosorb phosphorus in their body

What is Absorption? (PC)

phosphorus is abosorbed into plants by their roots

Which cycle is this?

Phosphorus Cycle

What is the water cycle powered by?

the sun

What is the water cycles essential for?

maintaining the Earth’s temperature

T/F: Water vapor is a GHG?

True

What happens during transpiration?

more than 75% of moisture in thickly vegetated ecosystems (like the rainforest) passes through plants during transpiration

Human Impacts (WC)

• overuse (use faster than can be replenished)

• increase of pollutants in runoff

• reduced inflitration - hard paved surfaces prevent recharging of groundwater

• accelerates top soil erosion

• increase risk of flooding - by draining/filling wetlands for farming or urban development

• alters weather - deforestation reduces transpiration which is the primary source of rainfall in a rainforest

  • reduced shade evaporates water before it can permeate the soil

What is Infiltration? (WC)

water soaks into the ground to become groundwater

What is Runoff? (WC)

precipitation that flows over land and goes into streams, rivers, lakes, ocean

What is Transpiration? (WC)

water vapor released from plant leaves into the atmosphere

What is Evaporation? (WC)

sun’s heat turns water into water vapor

What is Precipitation? (WC)

rain, snow, sleet, or hail

What is Condensation? (WC)

water vapor cools and condenses into clounds

Which cycle is this?

Water Cycle

What is sulfur essential for?

an essential nutrient for:

• amino acids

  • proteins

Where is sulfur found?

the Earth’s crust

How does sulfur enter the atmosphere?

• volcanic eruptions

• combustion of fossil fuels

  • sea spray (dimethyl sulfide - DMS) in the ocean

Human Impacts (SC)

• DMS emissions from paper manufacturings can effect cloud cover and climate

• DMS and fossil fuel emissions can contribute to formation of acid rain

• Metals like copper, lead, and zinc are extracted from sulfur containing compounds in rocks

What is erosion? (SC)

sulfur stored in sediments is weathered and released/transported

What is Decomposition? (SC)

decomposers break down dead organisms and release sulfur into soil

What is Hydrogen sulfide? (SC)

(H2S) released from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil

What is Deposition? (SC)

sulfur is depositied into the Earth’s surface by precipitation

What is Sulfur dioxide? (SC)

(SO2) released from burning fossil fuels like coal

What is Dimethyl sulfide? (SC)

(DMS) produced by marine phytoplankton and transferred into the atmosphere

What is Sulfuric acid? (SC)

(H2SO4) secondary pollutants forms in atmosphere and causes acid rain

What is Combustion? (SC)

burning fossil fuels like coal releases sulfurA

What is Absorption? (SC)

Plants/microorganisms take up sulfur from soil

What is Infiltration? (SC)

water soaks into ground taking sulfur with it

What is Bacterial Decay? (SC)

decomposers release sulfur into the atmosphere during process of decomposition

Which cycle is this?

Sulfur Cycle

What is carbon essential for?

• carbs

• lipids

• proteins

• DNA

  • other important organic molecules

What is Carbon Dioxide (CO2) essential for?

• GHG

• essential for maintaining Earth’s temperature

  • BUT too much can be bad

Where is carbon stored?

• ocean

• shells

• marine sedimanet

• limestone rock

• fossil fuels

• forest

• plants

• atmosphere

  • living organizms

What is one place carbon is stored?

• calcium carbonate

  • makes up shells

  • in limestone

Human Impacts (CS)

• burning fossil fuels - releases CO2

• Clearcutting forests and releasing carbon

  • releasing GHG’s like CO2 and CH4 (methane) contributes to global warming

What is Decomposition? (CS)

decomposers (like bacteria) break down dead organisms and release CO2

What is combustion (natural and human) (CS)

burning wood or fossil fuels, releasing CO2

What is Cellular Respiration? (CS)

using glucose as fuel for cells and tissues, releasing CO2 and H2O

What is Photosynthesis? (CS)

uses the sun’s energy, CO2, and water to produce glucose and release O2

What is Erosion? (CS)

carbon stored in sediments is weathered and released/transported

What is Burial and Compaction? (CS)

carbon is stored in Earth’s crust and buried over time in rocks/sediments

Which cycle is this?

Carbon Cycle