Exam 4: The Terrestrial Environment

When compared with sandy soils, clay soils have ________ wilting point.

The E horizon in soils is characterized by an accumulation of mineral particles.

Which soil has a high, dark clay content and shows significant expansion and contraction due to wetting and drying?

The mechanical destruction and/or chemical modification of rock into smaller particles is called

________ is a property of soils that is determined by the different sizes and types of particles in soils.

Explain why leaves that are not parallel to the ground are beneficial to plants living in arid environments and high-latitude forests.

The cation exchange capacity (CEC)of soils decreases with higher clay and organic matter content.

Organisms that live in aquatic systems experience limited temperature fluctuations due to water's

The general relationship between available light and leaf area index (LAI)is described by

The layer of unconsolidated debris overlaying the layer of hard, unweathered rock is called the ________.

Which of the following tends to displace cations from soil exchange sites as pH decreases?

The movement of solutes through the soil is known as ________.

Which wavelength of light penetrates through plant cover the furthest?

Explain one example of the influence of climate and vegetation on the type of soil that develops in an area.

All the following are factors that affect the attenuation of light in water, EXCEPT

Clay soils have smaller pores and hold considerably less water than sandy soils.

Patches of light that penetrate the canopy of a forest and reach the forest floor are called ________.

Soils on ridge tops are generally drier than valley soils.

Define soil fertility and explain why cation exchange capacity (CEC)is integral to the maintenance of soil fertility.