Topic 5: Soil Systems and Terestrial Food Production Systems and Societies

subsistence farming

farmng to produce enough to feed their family

commercial farming

faarming on a large scale for busness

cash cropping

a crop that is grwon souly for commercial use and not the grower for profit

pastoral farming

farming based on rearing livestock

arable farmng

only crops are grown on that land

mixed farming

combining crops and livestock

monoculture

only growing one crop

malnutrition

lack of proper nutrition tht is damaging to health

food choices

the choice that people have with fod considering ecological conditions, cultures/religious restrictions, political restrictions, market forces

soil profile

the cross section of the soil that shows the layers that run parallel to the surface. it usually is 6 layerssoil

horizons

the individual layers with distinctive features

sandy soil

gritty and fall apart easily

good drainage

poor water retention

high porosity

low microbial diversity

poor nutrient retention

silty soil

smooth texture

high water retention

low aeration

low porosity

clay soil

poor drainage

high nutrient retention

poor aeration

high microbial diversity

LOAM soil

roughly 40:40:20 sand, silt, clay nd is best for agriculture

allows for adequate nutrient retention

good aration

good water retention

can supports a range of microbes and even invertebrates

soil texture triangle

what are the soil horizons?

o - organic horizon that is newly deposited organic matter that s broken down by different organisms

a - eluvial, topsoil that is a build-up of humus (partially decomposed, fine material particles) it is dark in colour, waterlogged (gleying) with reduced decomposition

e - less humus and more inorganic material, lighter in colour

b - illuvial layer of clay and iron salts deposited in soluble minerals an organic matter

c - parent material (early bedrock) mainly weathered rock

r - unweathered parent material (late bedrock)

parent material

weathered rock that releases minerals into the soil

humus

decaying matter usually on the surface that is plant and animal matter

eluvial

material being displaced away from a soil layer

illuvial

material being displaced into a soil layer

describe the soil system

name the storages of soil systems

1. organic matter

2. organisms

3. nutrients

4. minerals

5. air

6. water

name the inputs of a soil system

1. organic matter

2. inorganic matter from rock material

3. precipitation

4. infiltration

5. energy

name the outputs of soil systems

1. leaching

2. uptake of plants

3. mass movement

4. soil erosion

name the transferes in soil systems

1. biological mixing

2. leaching

3. eluviation

4. illuviation

name the transformations in soil systems

1. decomposition

2. weathering

3. nutrient cycling

4. humification

5. mineralisation

intensive grazing

the grzing of livestock where the vegetation ad soil is damaged because there is more grazing than what the lan can keep up with

overcropping

the land is constantly being cultivated instead of being given time to lie fallow in between

soil erosion

the nage in the coil characteristics that cause it to loose fertility. this can be from the removal of the land or leaching, ollution

soil conditioner

helps improve soil structure by increasing aeration, water holding capacity, nutrient content and help break up compacted clay soils

terracing

building flat crop fields on slopes of fields to slow down the flow of water and checking soil erosion

ploughing

breaking up the soil toe aerate it and also uproots plants such as weeds

contour farming

tillin sloped land along lines of consistent elevation to conserve water and reduce soil losses

crop rotation

planting a different crop after harvesting the previous one fully or season change

desertification

the destruction of a landscape from over farming that eventually leaves in a desert like state depleted of nutrients

wind breaks

lines of trees, shrubbery to protect winds from taking away the top layer of soil

strip cultivation

mixed cropping in systematic series of bands acts as a barrier to water or wind. staggered harvest reduces the amount of exposed soil

liming

lime is added to the soil o reduce its acidity to artificially make acidic soil more neutral or if there is excess acid deposition, then to adapt to these conditions

mulching

covering the soil with organic or inorganic material can protect it from erosion, prevent weed growth, and restore nutrient levelstrick

trickle drip

slow release of water from pipes under the surface can help reduce loss of water from evaporation and leaching

marginal lands

land that is avoided because it is difficult land to farm on but it has to be used sometimes to meet demand