Friday, February 22, 2013

Exam #1 Potential Questions

Q1. What are the benefits and the drawbacks of the process of leaching?

A1: The biggest benefit of leaching is that water is transferred through soil, which carries nutrients through the soil profile. This allows for soluble materials to be absorbed by the organisms within the soil as well as for the chemicals to react with minerals in the soil. Another benefit is that this allows for the accumulation of groundwater sources. The drawbacks of leaching are that it is not selective in what it transfers through the soil. Leaching is how toxic chemicals get into the soil, then our food, and even our drinking water.

Q2: What are the two types of non-radiative heating and how do they differ?

A2: The two types are sensible heat and latent heat. Sensible heat is a function of the air temperature and the surface temperature. Latent heat is a function relative to water where it takes wetness and humidity into account. Essentially it is the transfer of heat through the medium of water.

Q3: List 4 soil properties that are affected by soil texture and give an example of how a particular soil texture would specifically influence 2 of these these properties.

A3: Soil texture can influence many soil properties such as drainage capability, water holding capacity, aeration, organic material, cation exchange capacity, pH buffering capacity, etc. If a soil was very sandy there would be high drainage and very low water holding capacity.


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