Soils: Exam 2

What is soil?

Unconsolidated mineral or organic material on the immediate surface of the earth.

This serves as the natural medium for the growth of land plants.

Soil

What are the major necessities that soil provides plants with for life?

1. Water

2. Nutrients

3. Firm anchorage

What are the 5 things that soil is a function of?

1. Parent material

2. Climate

3. Biota

4. Topography

5. Time

What is the ecological significance of soils?

1. Anchorage

2. Moisture supply

3. Nutrient supply

What are the physical properties of soil?

1. Texture

2. Structure

3. Porosity

4. Consistence

5. Bulk density

6. Aeration

7. Temperature

What is gravitational water?

This is water drained from large pores.

What is field capcaity?

This is soil water after 2-3 days of no rain.

What is available water?

This is the area between field capacity and permanent wilting point.

What does it mean for soil to be saturated?

This means that all pore spaces are filled with water.

What is weathering?

This is the physical and chemical process that breaks down parent material (rock) into smaller particles.

Most soils in the southeast are ___________.

acidic

What is macroflora?

Plant roots

What is microflora?

Bacteria, Actinomycetes, Fungi

What is Actinomycetes?

This is a cross between bacteria and fungi.

What is soil fauna?

Animals living in the soil that make channels, mix matter, and provide food.