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Unit 4 apes
Earth and its resources
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| plants | anchors roots of plants and provides water, shelter, nutrients (N, P, K, Mg) for growth |
| water | filters rainwater + runoff by trapping pollutants in pore spaces + plant roots. Clean water enters groundwater + aquifers |
| nutrient recycling | home to decomposers that break down dead organic matter + return nutrients to the soil |
| habitat | provides habitat for org. like earthworms, fungi, bacteria, moles, slugs |
| what is soil? | Mix of geologic (rock) and organic (living) components Sand, silt, clay Humus: main organic part of soil (broken down biomass like leaves, dead animals, waste, etc.) Nutrients: ammonium, phosphates, nitrates Water and Air Living Organisms |
| Weathering | Breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces Physical (wind, rain, freezing/thawing of ice) Biological (roots of trees crack rocks) Chemical (acid rain, acids from moss/lichen) Weathering of rocks = soil formation Broken into smaller and smaller pieces |
| Erosion | Transport of weathered rock fragments by wind and rain Carried to new location and deposited (deposition) |
| Soil Formation | From below Weathering of parent material produces smaller, and smaller fragments that make up geological/inorganic part of soil Sand, silt, clay Minerals From above Breakdown of organic matter adds humus to soil |
| Effects on Soil Form. | Parent material: soil pH, nutrient content Topography: steep slope = too much erosion; more level ground = deposition |
| Effects on Soil Form. | Climate: warmer = faster breakdown of org. matter; more precip. = more weathering, erosion + deposition Organisms: Soil organisms like bacteria, fungi, worms breakdown organic matter |
| Soil Horizons | O-Horizon: layer of organic matter (plant roots, dead leaves, animal waste, etc) on top of soil Provides nutrients and limits H2O loss to evap. A-Horizon: aka topsoil; layer of humus (decomposed organic matter) and minerals from parent material |
| soil horizons | A-Horizon has most biological activity (earthworms, soil microbes) breaking down organic matter to release nutrients B-Horizon: aka subsoil; lighter layer below topsoil, mostly made of minerals w/little to no org. matter |
| soil horizons | Contains some nutrients C-Horizon: least weathered soil that is closest to the parent material, sometimes called bedrock |
| Nutrient Depletion: | repeatedly growing crops on the same soil removes key nutrients (N, P, K, Na, Mg) over time Reduces ability to grow future crops |
| Loss of Topsoil: | tiling (turning soil for ag.) + loss of vegetation disturb soil and make it more easily eroded by wind and rain Loss of top soil dries out soil, removes nutrients + soil organisms that recycle nutrients |
| Compaction: | compression of soil by machines (tractors, bulldozers, etc.), grazing livestock, and humans reduces ability to hold moisture Dry soil erodes more easily Dry soil supports less plant growth, less root structure, leading to more erosion |
Created by:
emilymurawski8
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