chapter 5 notes/flashcards

Flashcard 1

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Front: What are the main components of soil?

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Back: Mineral particles, nutrients, organic material, water, air, and living organisms1....

Flashcard 2

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Front: List four ecosystem services provided by soil.

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Back: Nutrient cycling, water filtration, habitat, and carbon storage2....

Flashcard 3

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Front: Describe the O horizon in a soil profile.

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Back: Organic matter; layer of relatively undecomposed plant residues4....

Flashcard 4

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Front: What is the A horizon also known as, and what occurs there?

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Back: Known as topsoil, it's a layer of mineral soil with a greater accumulation of organic matter and soil life. This layer leaches iron, clay, calcium, and organic compounds4....

Flashcard 5

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Front: Define eluviation and illuviation.

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Back: Eluviation is the movement of dissolved or suspended materials from upper to lower layers; Illuviation is the deposition of eluviated materials in lower soil layers6.

Flashcard 6

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Front: What are the inputs and outputs of soil as a system?

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Back: Inputs: Weathering, atmospheric inputs, biological nitrogen fixation, precipitation, and plant/animal residues7. Outputs: Erosion, leaching, gas losses, evaporation, and crop harvest7.

Flashcard 7

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Front: Why is soil considered an open system?

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Back: Because it exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings8.

Flashcard 8

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Front: List the three main types of soil particles and their characteristics.

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Back:

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Sand: 0.05 mm - 2 mm particle diameter, fast-draining, low nutrient retention9....

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Silt: 0.002 mm-0.05 mm particle diameter, medium water retention and drainage9....

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Clay: <0.002 mm particle diameter, sticky, high water retention, poor drainage9....

Flashcard 9

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Front: What is loam, and why is it good for agriculture?

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Back: Loam is a balanced mix of sand, silt, and clay, providing good drainage, aeration, and nutrient-holding capacity11.

Flashcard 10

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Front: Explain the relationship between porosity and permeability in clay and sand soils.

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Back: Clay has high porosity and low permeability, while sand has low porosity and high permeability10....

Flashcard 11

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Front: How do clay soils encourage acidity?

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Back: High cation exchange capacity holds hydrogen and aluminum, poor drainage leads to organic acid buildup, and leaching removes base cations12.

Flashcard 12

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Front: Name three macronutrients essential for plant growth and their roles.

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Back:

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Nitrogen (N): Growth13.

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Phosphorus (P): Roots and ATP13.

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Potassium (K): Water balance13.

Flashcard 13

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Front: Differentiate between subsistence and commercial agriculture.

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Back: Subsistence agriculture is small-scale and for self-sufficiency, while commercial agriculture is large-scale and for profit13....

Flashcard 14

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Front: What is intensive agriculture?

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Back: High input/output on a small land area13....

Flashcard 15

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Front: Define monoculture and its impact on soil.

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Back: Monoculture is growing a single crop, leading to soil degradation17....

Flashcard 16

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Front: How do climate, culture/religion, politics, and socio-economics influence food production systems?

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Back:

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Climate determines suitable crops/livestock19....

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Culture/Religion influences diet choices19....

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Politics involves subsidies and regulations20....

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Socio-economics relates to access to land, technology, and labor20....

Flashcard 17

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Front: Why is farming lower trophic levels more efficient?

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Back: Lower trophic levels (plants) require less energy and resources compared to higher trophic levels (meat)21....

Flashcard 18

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Front: Where does food waste primarily occur in LEDCs and MEDCs?

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Back: LEDCs: poor storage and transport; MEDCs: consumer behavior and overproduction21....

Flashcard 19

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Front: List four factors contributing to decreasing land availability per capita.

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Back: Urbanization, deforestation, soil degradation, and population growth24....

Flashcard 20

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Front: How does soil form through succession?

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Back: Weathering breaks down rock, organic matter accumulates, and microorganisms/plants establish, enriching the soil26....

Flashcard 21

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Front: Describe three human activities that cause soil degradation.

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Back:

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Overgrazing: Removes vegetation, increases erosion26....

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Overcropping: Depletes nutrients, reduces fertility26....

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Deforestation: Removes root structures, increasing erosion26....

Flashcard 22

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Front: How do pesticides and irrigation contribute to soil degradation?

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Back: Pesticides kill beneficial organisms; Irrigation leads to salinization29....

Flashcard 23

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Front: What is salinization?

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Back: The process of excessive accumulation of salts in the soil, often caused by the evaporation of stagnant water used for irrigation6....

Flashcard 24

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Front: Explain three processes of soil erosion.

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Back:

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Water Erosion: Runoff removes topsoil31....

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Wind Erosion: Wind blows away loose soil32....

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Tillage Erosion: Plowing disturbs soil, making it vulnerable18....

Flashcard 25

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Front: List four soil conservation methods.

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Back: Soil conditioners, wind reduction techniques, irrigation management, cover crops, terracing, contour farming, crop rotation34....

Flashcard 26

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Front: How do soil conditioners improve soil quality?

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Back: They correct deficiencies in structure or nutrients34....

Flashcard 27

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Front: How do terraces and contour farming prevent soil erosion?

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Back: Terraces prevent water erosion by creating level platforms; Contour farming involves plowing and planting crops at a right angle to the slope35....

These flashcards should help you review the key concepts from the provided texts. Good luck with your exam!

• Agribusiness: Large-scale, industrialized food production aimed at maximizing production and profit in the global market [1, 2].

• Arable Farming: Crop-based agriculture, cultivating vegetables for human consumption or for livestock [2, 3].

• Biological Nitrogen Fixation: Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into forms usable by plants, often performed by bacteria in legumes [4].

• Commercial Agriculture: Large-scale farming for selling and maximizing profit per hectare, common in MEDCs (More Economically Developed Countries) [3, 5, 6]. It relies heavily on machinery, chemical products, and fossil fuels [7].

• Contour Farming: Plowing and planting crops at a right angle to the slope to reduce water erosion [8, 9].

• Crop Rotation: The practice of rotating crops to extract different nutrients from the soil and maintain soil fertility [7, 9, 10].

• Deforestation: Removal of trees, leading to fewer leaves to mitigate rain impact and fewer roots to provide soil structure, increasing water erosion [11-13].

• Desertification: Gradual conversion of productive land into deserts, often due to inadequate soil management practices [1, 14].

• Eluviation: The movement of dissolved or suspended materials from upper to lower soil layers [15].

• Erosion: The process of transferring soil particles, mainly through water or wind, intensified by the absence of vegetation [4, 16-18].

• Extensive Agriculture: Agricultural system using few inputs and large land areas [2, 3, 19].

• Food Security: When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy life [20].

• Illuviation: Deposition of eluviated materials in lower soil layers [15].

• Intensive Agriculture: Agricultural system using small land area with many inputs [3, 6, 19].

• Leaching: Downward movement of nutrients in the soil as water flows vertically, potentially leading to nutrient loss [4, 15].

• Loam: A soil texture with a balanced mix of sand, silt, and clay, which is best for farming due to its good drainage, aeration, and nutrient-holding capacity [21, 22]. A loam soil typically consists of 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay [23].

• Malnutrition: Insufficiency in one or more nutritional elements necessary to remain healthy [20].

• Monoculture: Growing a single crop, which can deplete specific nutrients and degrade the soil [1, 2, 17, 24].

• Nutrient Cycling: The process by which soil stores and recycles essential nutrients [25, 26].

• Organic Agriculture: A farming system that avoids the use of genetically modified organisms and synthetic pesticides [3].

• Overgrazing: Excessive livestock feeding on vegetation, damaging plant leaves, reducing photosynthesis, and compacting the soil, leading to erosion [11, 13].

• Pastoral Farming: An agricultural system primarily based on livestock [2].

• Permeability: The ability of soil to transmit a fluid, dependent on pore diameter and connectivity [27].

• Porosity: The percentage of pores (voids) in relation to the total volume of soil, important for water and air presence [27].

• Salinization: Accumulation of salts in soil, often due to poor irrigation practices [15, 17, 28].

• Soil Conditioners: Substances added to soil to correct deficiencies in structure or nutrients [8, 18]. Examples include animal and plant residues and lime to raise pH and improve drainage [8].

• Soil Degradation: The reduction in soil quality due to erosion, biological, physical, or chemical degradation, making it less suitable for production [13, 16, 20, 29].

• Soil Profile: Vertical section of soil showing different layers or horizons [30-32].

• Horizon O: Organic matter layer with undecomposed plant residues [31, 32].

• Horizon A: Topsoil layer with mineral soil and organic matter accumulation, where leaching occurs [31, 32].

• Horizon B: Subsoil layer where iron, clay, aluminum, and organic compounds accumulate [32, 33].

• Horizon C: Layer of large, unbroken rocks that can accumulate soluble compounds [31].

• Horizon R: Partially weathered parent rock at the base [15, 31].

• Soil Structure: The arrangement of soil particles, affecting aeration, water retention, drainage, and root penetration [33].

• Soil Texture: The proportion of sand, silt, and clay particles in a soil [30, 33].

• Subsistence Agriculture: Small-scale agriculture cultivated for local consumption, common in LEDCs [3, 5, 6, 19].

• Terracing: Creating level platforms on slopes to prevent water erosion [8, 18, 34].

• Weathering: The process that adds nutrients to the soil in small quantities [4].

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