ESPM 1011 Study Guide - Quiz Guide: Soil Retrogression And Degradation, Soil Conservation, Humus
Document Summary
Note: while various additional optional resource links are provided on the canvas site, the exam will only cover material presented during the video lecture and items you have been directed to review on. Canvas. soil - complex mixture of weathered inorganic and organic materials importance - provides a lot of ecosystem services: recycling of waste, building on top of, plant growth, water supply & purification, habitat for soil organisms, store carbon. Carbon cycle - impt for healthy soil and healthy plant growth, takes carbon out of atmosphere soil erosion - takes away soil carbon by oxidation. Composition of typical soil - 25% air, 25% water, 45% mineral particles, 5% organic matter (humus, roots, organisms) Humus - part of organic matter in soil. Upper layer of soil, highest organic matter and microorganisms, critical for plant life soil degradation - erosion carries away 25-40 b tonnes of topsoil nutrients, lack of soil nutrients, accumulation of salts.
