Term
| why the ability of soil to bind elements is important |
|
Definition
-so that it can act as a reservoir of nutrients for plants and hold waste products so that they can be degraded by microbes
-so that it can intercept chemicals before they pollute the water |
|
|
Term
| the 3 phases of the soil environment |
|
Definition
-the soil atmosphere (gas)
-the soil solution (aqueous)
-the soil solids (solid) |
|
|
Term
| the phase(s) of soil that are true phases |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| the phase(s) of soil that is a composite of several phases |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| what's unique about the solid phase of soil compared to the other 2 phases? |
|
Definition
| the solid phase if soil is a composite of several phases |
|
|
Term
| the compartments of the soil solid phase |
|
Definition
-mineral (inorganic)
-humus (organic)
-biotic (living) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| substances that accumulate at the interface between minerals or organic matter and the soil solution |
|
|
Term
| examples of soil boundary phases |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
composed of solvent (component in largest amount) and solute(s) (component(s) in smaller amounts)
this is the soil aqueous phase |
|
|
Term
| description of soil aqueous phase |
|
Definition
| water is solvent and everything dissolved in it as the solutes |
|
|
Term
| description of soil gas phase |
|
Definition
| soil air, which is a gaseous solution with N as the solvent and everything dissolved in it as the solutes |
|
|
Term
| Soil minerals are commonly solid solutions. What's an example of how this is possible? |
|
Definition
| calcite in soil having small amount of Mg replacing some Ca, such that there is a solution with calcite as the solvent and magnesite as the solute |
|
|
Term
| the soil environment is bounded by... |
|
Definition
-the soil surface
-the parent material (beneath soil) |
|
|
Term
| some ways things can enter the soil thru the soil surface (inputs) |
|
Definition
| -precipitation
-fluvian and eolian deposition
-gases, CO2 and O2
-anthropogenic materials |
|
|
Term
| some ways things can exit thru the soil surface (losses) |
|
Definition
| -evapotranspiration
-erosion
-plant uptake
-gases, CO2 and O2
-volatilization |
|
|
Term
| some ways things can enter the soil from the bottom (inpots) |
|
Definition
| -capillary action, H2O
-water table fluctuation
-salts
-anthropogenic compounds |
|
|
Term
| some ways things can exit the soil thru the bottom (outputs (losses)) |
|
Definition
-water
-weathering products
-degradation products
-anthropogenic compounds |
|
|
