BIOL 1202 Chapter : Chapter 37 Learning Objectives
Document Summary
Concept 37. 1: soil is a living, finite resource: define soil texture and soil composition. Soil is made up of particles derived from the breakdown of rocks (minerals) along with organic material (humus) Texture: the relative amount of various sizes of soil particles. Composition: relative amount of inorganic and organic components: explain how soil is formed, name the components of topsoil. The top soil"s composition encompasses its inorganic (mineral) and organic chemical components. The organic components include the many life-forms that inhabit the soil: explain why plants cannot extract all of the water in soil. A soil"s capacity to exchange cations is determined by the number of cation adhesion sites and bu the soil"s ph: explain how the presence of clay in soil helps prevent the leaching of mineral cations. Clay helps prevent the leaching of mineral cations because clay is negatively charged: define cation exchange, explain why it is necessary for plant nutrition, and describe how plants stimulate the process.
