Chapter 2: Soil Composition



Chapter 2: Soil Composition

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1) Give the ideal composition of soil.

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2) Where is mineral matter derived from?

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3) Why is the % air and water said to be dynamic?

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4) Explain why soil pore space is so important?

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5) Explain how soil pore space can be affected?

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6) Give the composition of mineral matter.

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7) List the in order of increasing size the mineral matter particles.

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8) Explain the properties of gravel and sand.

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9) Explain the properties of silt and clay.

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10) What is meant by ion exchange?

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11) Why is colloidal clay so important?

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12) Describe the relationship between surface area, ion exchanging power and particle size?

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13) What is meant by the term cations?

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14) What is an anion?

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15) Describe the properties of organic matter.

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16) What is humus?

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17) Describe the relationship between particle size and physical and chemical properties.

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18) What is colloidal humus?

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19) Compare soil air and atmospheric air.

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20) Why is air needed in soil?

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21) How can air be removed from soil?

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22) What is diffusion?

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23) What do capillary forces mean?

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24) Why is soil water often referred to as the soil solution?

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25) What is soil texture?

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26) Explain what is meant by the physical properties of soil.

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27) How can soil texture be determined?

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28) What is the soil texture triangle used for?

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29) Give one desirable property and one undesirable property of a sand, silt, and loam and clay soil.

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30) How can soil structure be defined?

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31) Compare (giving at least 3 points) the following soils: a clay soil, a sandy soil and a loam soil.

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32) How can soil structure be defined?

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33) Compare a structured and structureless soil.

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34) What is meant by flocculation?

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35) What is aggregation?

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36) What is a ped?

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37) How can flocculation be promoted?

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38) How is structure development accomplished in a field?

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39) Compare cementation and separation.

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40) Explain what factors affect cementation and separation.

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41) What is meant by a “permanent grassland”?

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42) What is the optimum level of air in soil?

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43) Why might a sub soiler or ripper be used for?

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44) What is a polarised water molecule?

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45) What is hygroscopic water?

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46) Compare hygroscopic water, capillary water and gravitational water.

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47) What is meant by available water capacity?

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48) Compare soil that is at (a) Saturation, (b) Field Capacity (c) Permanent Wilting Point.

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49) Compare permanent and temporary wilting point.

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50) How can a crop be put under “moisture stress”?

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51) What is meant by “unsaturated flow” and “saturated flow” when talking about water movement.

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52) What is meant by a perched water table?

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53) Explain what effect does soil temperature have?

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54) What is Van Hoff’s Law?

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55) Describe an experiment to estimate the soil texture by feel and feel.

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56) Describe an experiment to determine the soil textural class.

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57) Describe an experiment to estimate the soil texture by sedimentation.

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58) Describe an experiment to demonstrate flocculation of clay.

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59) Describe an experiment to demonstrate the effect of structure formation on total pore space.

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60) Describe an experiment to determine the infiltration rate and permeability of a clay and sandy soil.

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61) Describe an experiment to determine the threshold soil temperature for grass growth.

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