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soil
The loose, weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow.
clay, silt, sand
List soil particles from smallest to largest
life, death, lifeless material
mix of organic and inorganic material in soils
nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium
macronutrients in soil
calcium, magnesium, sulphur
secondary elements in soil
micro plant elements
Boron
Chlorine
Copper
Iron
Manganese
Molybdenum
Zinc
Chlorine
Copper
Iron
Manganese
Molybdenum
Zinc
manure, compost, inorganic fertilizer
how to get nutrients in crops?
toward the top
where is a soil more acidic
acidic
do plants favir acidic or alkaline soils?
deserts
region where soils tend to be alkaline
rainfall
main factor that helps determine pH levelr
iron
what colors soil red
plant roots, soil organic mtter, and clays
binding agents in soils
at the top due to organic matter
where is the soil darkest and why?
human activities that change soil
tillage, weeding, terracing, irrigation, drainage, fertilizing, deep ploughing
natural activities that change soils
acidification, clay movement, organic matter accumulation, weathering
aggregates or peds
what soil particles re arranged into
gelisol
Soils that are formed in cold regions and have permanent ice in the subsoil.
histosol
soils with high content of organic matter; formed in areas with poor drainage;
spodosols
acid forest soils
andisols
soils developed from volcanic material, particularly ash
oxisols
intensely weathered soils of tropical and subtropical environments
vertisols
clay-rich soils which swell or shrink with moisture
aridosols
common desert soils, soils of dry areas
ultisols
strongly leached soils
leaching
the transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater
mollisols
Soil order Prevalent in US
Found in grasslands & have dark topsoil
alfisols
moderately leached/weathered forest soils
inceptisols
soils with weakly developed subsurface horizons
entisols
soils with little or no morphological development
Wisconsin soils
Alfisols
Inceptisols
Mollisols
Spodosols
Ultisols
60 percent
By 2050, food production must increase by____
95%
what percentage of food comes from the ground?
60%
what percentage of people live on rice
hydroponics
a technique of growing plants (without soil) in water containing dissolved nutrients
Urban Food Systems
Urban agriculture, victory gardens, rooftop gardens
mollisol
found across the Midwest, very fertile soils
oxisols
in Africa and parts South America, toxic and not fertile at all
problems with soils
Drought
Mineral stress: low soil fertility, or high salinity (too salty)
Frozen
Wet
Shallow
water excess, shallow depth, drought
hard to fix soil problems
mineral stress, acidity
easy to fix soil problems
inherent soil problems
drainage and soil acidity
erosion
Processes by which rock, sand, and soil are broken down and carried away (i.e. weathering, glaciation)
salinization
Accumulation of salts in soil that can eventually make the soil unable to support plant growth.
acidification
The change in the chemical composition of soil, which may trigger the circulation of toxic metals.
human-induced soil problems
erosion, desertification, pollution, loss of organic matter, acidification, nutrient making, salinization, compaction
15%
Agriculture uses ___ of global energy demand
sizes of the door
indicator for how fertile soils are
texture and color
Properties used in indegemous classification commonly
the poverty trap
low yield -> low income -> los inputs -> low yield
short height, thin body, very poor energy levels, swollen legs and abdomen
effects of malnutrition
40%
how many prescription drugs come from soil?
60%
how many cancer drugs come from soil?
a difference in tropical soils
there is a lack of difference between summer andn winter temperatures
the tropics
where are volcanic ash deposits greatest?
temperate regions
where are soils younger?
oxisols
very red: high iron
very weathered
low pH - acid soils
8 % globally
very deep soils
23%
what percentage of tropical soils are oxisols?
weathered, deeper
in terms of depth and weathering, the older a a soils gets, the more ____ it becomes and the ____ it gets.
formation of oxisols
under warm and humid conditions over long periods
Slash and burn
A farming method involving the cutting of trees, then burning them to provide ash-enriched soil for the planting of crops
ash
can be used as fertilizer due to lime and potassium contents
Evapotranspiration
The evaporation of water from soil plus the transpiration of water from plants.
50-90 feet
how deep can oxisols get?
silica
when soils get older they typically lose _____
silica
a material found in magma that forms from the elements oxygen and silicon
alifsol to ultisol to oxisol
time-dependent soils (due to maturation and loss of silica)
aridosols, spodosols, gelisols
climate-dependent soils
vertisols, andisols, histosols
parent-material-specific soils
entisols
soil of the Sahara and Australin Outback, are new soils, likesand dunes, which are too dry for any major soil horizon development.
soil horizon
The layer of soil that differs in color and texture from the layers above or below it.
biological crust
a living community of lichen, cyanobacteria, algae, and moss growing on the soil surface that bind the soil together
33%
desert make up __ of global land area
aridosols
Low precipitation and high evapuration precludes leaching and growth of lush vegetation
accumulation of salts on the surface
desert pavement
a surface layer of closely packed or cemented pebbles, rock fragments, etc., from which fine material has been removed by the wind in arid regions.
desert varnish
A dark shiny coating of iron and manganese oxides that forms on rock surfaces exposed to desert air for a long time
aridosol horizon
Sodium enriched clay horizon (throughdispersion)Prismatic or columnarstructure
desertification
Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.
selenium
aridosol toxic trace element
Causes of desertification
Removal of the natural vegetation cover (fuelwood), agricultural activities, overgrazing
Note 
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