Esci: Water & Soil Resources

Most of the water on Earth is ______ • what is the percentage?

• what is freshwater commonly found as?

• are significant sources of freshwater

• what is the percentage of freshwater that humans can use?

• water from precipitation that is stored in the root zone of the soil and evaporated, transpired, or incorporated by plants.

• water that has been sourced from surface or groundwater resources and is either evaporated, incorporated into a product or taken from one body of water and returned to another, or returned at a different time.

• the amount of fresh water required to assimilate pollutants to meet specific water quality standards.

• List the 5 main activities done by humans that affect water resources

• Why is surface water the most important water resource?

• Water that is collected on Earth in the form of surface and ground water is called _______.

• Sources of water that are in the form of rivers, lakes and swamps

• Why do we need to conserve water?

• part of regolith that supports the growth of plan

• the layer of rock and mineral fragments that covers most of Earth's land surface

• What is the composition of soil?

• What are the threats to our soil resources (d) the destruction or covering of soil on the ground by an impermeable material

• refers to the proportions of different particle sizes

• list the 4 soil textures (1) Large size (3) Small size (4) mixture of all three sizes, best suited for plant life

• list the 4 soil structures

• Why is texture an important soil property?

• layers of soil

• the soil forming processes are active and that living roots and other plant and animal life are largely confined

• consist of O and A horizons; generally, have large humus content

• part of Solum

• B horizon; generally composed of fine clay; referred to as the zone of accumulation

• Soil horizon that contains organic matter

• Soil horizon that contains organic matter mixed with mineral material

• Soil horizon where leaching by downward percolating water occurs

• Soil horizon where clay minerals, Fe oxides and calcite accumulates

• Soil horizon where fragments mechanically weathered from bedrock and some partially decomposed

• the source of the weathered mineral matter from which soils develop

• factor that affects soil formation

• came from the bedrock as parent material

• unconsolidated sediments that have been carried away elsewhere

• weathering takes ______

• factor that affects soil formation

• variations in temperature and precipitation determine whether chemical or mechanical weather predominates

• factor that affects soil formation

• influences the soil's physical and chemical properties and furnish organic matter to soil

• factor that affects soil formation

• the slope of a surface

• factor that affects soil formation

• develops poor soils

• flat to undulating upland surface; good soils

• the direction a slope is facing

• How might the direction that a slope is facing influence soil formation?

• tilling the soil, breaking it up, and loosening it so the new plants can take root. Once the plants are harvested, the loose soil remains, and wind or rain can easily wash it away.

• Source of Erosion

• They wander over the area and eat grasses and shrubs. They can remove large amounts of plant cover for an area.

• Source of Erosion

• greatly increase the rate of erosion in a region by logging which kills these plants.

• Source of Erosion

• major contributors to erosion, especially on a local level which involves shifting large amounts of earth, such as strip mining or mountaintop removal.

• Source of Erosion

• can also exacerbate erosion, especially if the developers ignore the natural state of the land, by clearing the area of any plants or other natural defenses against soil erosion.

• Source of Erosion

• causes erosion through activities like hiking and riding off-road vehicles.

• Source of Erosion