AP Environmental Science › Soil and Geology
Which element is not a component of soil?
None of these
Living organisms
Mineral material
Partially decomposed organic matter
All of these components make up soil. Differences in ratios of these components account for different soil types.
Which element is not a component of soil?
None of these
Living organisms
Mineral material
Partially decomposed organic matter
All of these components make up soil. Differences in ratios of these components account for different soil types.
Soil with insufficient nitrogen is generally easier to fix than soil insufficient in phosphorus. Why might this be?
Nitrogen is abundant in the soil and the atmosphere, while phosphorus is only available in the soil and in bedrock.
Phosphorus is generally scarce in the natural world.
Many plants are incapable of taking up available phosphorus, making it very difficult to have compost that is rich in phosphorus.
There are significantly more steps in the phosphorus cycle to make phosphorus usable for plants, limiting availability.
Atmospheric phosphorus disperses in the form of precipitation, and irrigating crops from a well source will be insufficient in replenishing phosphorus to the soil.
There is a sizable bank of nitrogen in the atmosphere that can be fixed by certain bacteria (and plants that harbor this bacteria in their roots), while phosphorus originates largely from bedrock and is released into the soil in limited quantities. Nitrogen can be fixed from a collective atmosphere that is three-quarters nitrogen, while phosphorus is more region-specific and can be harder to replace than nitrogen once it's depleted. Farms located in phosphorus-poor regions often have to rely on mined phosphates.
Soil with insufficient nitrogen is generally easier to fix than soil insufficient in phosphorus. Why might this be?
Nitrogen is abundant in the soil and the atmosphere, while phosphorus is only available in the soil and in bedrock.
Phosphorus is generally scarce in the natural world.
Many plants are incapable of taking up available phosphorus, making it very difficult to have compost that is rich in phosphorus.
There are significantly more steps in the phosphorus cycle to make phosphorus usable for plants, limiting availability.
Atmospheric phosphorus disperses in the form of precipitation, and irrigating crops from a well source will be insufficient in replenishing phosphorus to the soil.
There is a sizable bank of nitrogen in the atmosphere that can be fixed by certain bacteria (and plants that harbor this bacteria in their roots), while phosphorus originates largely from bedrock and is released into the soil in limited quantities. Nitrogen can be fixed from a collective atmosphere that is three-quarters nitrogen, while phosphorus is more region-specific and can be harder to replace than nitrogen once it's depleted. Farms located in phosphorus-poor regions often have to rely on mined phosphates.
__________ soil is considered ideal for food production, usually nutrient-rich, and holds both air and water well.
Loamy
Silty
Sandy
Clay-rich
Alkaline
Loamy soil is a mixture between sand, silt, and clay. It is rich in organic matter, and the properties of sand and clay combined allow it to hold air and water well.
__________ soil is considered ideal for food production, usually nutrient-rich, and holds both air and water well.
Loamy
Silty
Sandy
Clay-rich
Alkaline
Loamy soil is a mixture between sand, silt, and clay. It is rich in organic matter, and the properties of sand and clay combined allow it to hold air and water well.
The soil beneath your feet is stratified into layers that help us understand how soil is formed. If you collected a soil sample that contained accumulations of clay and subsoil, from which horizon (layer) did this soil come?
B Horizon
O Horizon
A Horizon
C Horizon
R Horizon
The correct response is B Horizon. The B horizon is referred to as the zone of accumulation because all the clay, minerals, and subsoil that is washed into it via illuviation from the overlying layers of soil. The B horizon is usually dark red or brownish due to the presence of clay and iron oxides.
The soil beneath your feet is stratified into layers that help us understand how soil is formed. If you collected a soil sample that contained accumulations of clay and subsoil, from which horizon (layer) did this soil come?
B Horizon
O Horizon
A Horizon
C Horizon
R Horizon
The correct response is B Horizon. The B horizon is referred to as the zone of accumulation because all the clay, minerals, and subsoil that is washed into it via illuviation from the overlying layers of soil. The B horizon is usually dark red or brownish due to the presence of clay and iron oxides.
Climate change has increased the variability in weather patterns. Unpredictable weather patterns are hard to manage. In 2015, heavy rainfall events caused farm field soils in Ohio to become saturated with water. This killed off many farmers' crops because the plants couldn't receive carbon dioxide/oxygen due to all the water. What is this phenomenon called?
Waterlogging
Salinization
Sheet erosion
Gully erosion
Rill erosion
The correct response is waterlogging. In waterlogging, water covers plant roots and soils with water - preventing soils from absorbing oxygen from the air. If the water covers the soil surface for too long, plants begin to die because their roots can't absorb oxygen and/or carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in order to undergo respiration. Salinization involves the increase in salt content of soil. Sheet erosion is the process by which thin layers of soil are moved due to the force of rain drops and overland flow. Gully erosion involves the formation of gullies (small valleys) due to intensive erosion by water. Rill erosion involves water creating rills, small channels through which water flows.
Climate change has increased the variability in weather patterns. Unpredictable weather patterns are hard to manage. In 2015, heavy rainfall events caused farm field soils in Ohio to become saturated with water. This killed off many farmers' crops because the plants couldn't receive carbon dioxide/oxygen due to all the water. What is this phenomenon called?
Waterlogging
Salinization
Sheet erosion
Gully erosion
Rill erosion
The correct response is waterlogging. In waterlogging, water covers plant roots and soils with water - preventing soils from absorbing oxygen from the air. If the water covers the soil surface for too long, plants begin to die because their roots can't absorb oxygen and/or carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in order to undergo respiration. Salinization involves the increase in salt content of soil. Sheet erosion is the process by which thin layers of soil are moved due to the force of rain drops and overland flow. Gully erosion involves the formation of gullies (small valleys) due to intensive erosion by water. Rill erosion involves water creating rills, small channels through which water flows.