ENV100Y5 Lecture 12: Chapter 7 - Soil Resources
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ENV100Y5 Full Course Notes
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Peat soils formed over 8000 years; up to 6m thick. Interdisciplinary research project studying the influence of climate on carbon balance (and vice versa) Bacteria, algae, earthworms, insects, mammals, amphibians, reptiles. Continuous mass of solid rock (the earth"s crust) Wind, rain, thermal expansion and contraction, water freezing) When glaciers slide away there is a release of pressure, this release has different effects on different rocks, causing some to pop up higher above the earth. Biological activity (soil microbes and fauna; decomposition and accumulation of organic matter. Can take 10000 years or more to form a well-developed soil profile. Soil profile = the cross-section of soil as a whole. Layers differ in colour, texture, nutrient content/chemical composition. Leaching: dissolved particles move down through horizons. Contributes significantly to structural influences water retention, nutrient content, cation exchange capacity. Black or dark brown = organic matter. Particle sizes and pore sizes: influence how air and water pass through the soil.
