ENV100Y5 Chapter 7: chapter7.pdf
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ENV100Y5 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Peat soils formed over 8000 years; up to 6m thick. Interdisciplinary research project studying the influence of climate on carbon balance (viceversa) Soil consists of mineral matter, organic matter, water, air, and other gases. Dead and living microorganisms and decaying material. Parent material = base geologic material of soil. Bedrock= continuous mass of solid rock (the earth"s crust) Regolith sediment = broken up rock: lunar regolith- no soil on the moon, it"s lunar sediments but no organic component to it so it"s not truly soil. Physical (mechanical)= no chemical changes in the parent material. Chemical= substances chemically interact with parent material. Biological = organisms break down parent material. Climate (temperature, precipitation- contributes to erosion of rock) Topography (steepness of slope- cannot retain soil very well) Biological activity (soil microbes and fauna; decomposition and accumulation of organic matter) Can take 10,000 years or more to form a well developed soil profile.
