Unit 5: Earth's Land Resources and Use

a complex system of inorganic, weathered parent material (rock), organic matter, water, gases, nutrients, and microorganisms; a renewable source, but renewal occurs very slowly

results primarily from forest removal, cropland agricultural practices, and overgrazing of livestock

producing only enough food for it to cover the entire family

only farming a one single crop, on a large-scale

farming several different crops

spreads industrial agriculture techniques practiced in developed nations to developing countries; increased crop yields and helps prevent mass starvation

a pursuit that embraces the use of fresh, healthy, locally produced foods

uneaten food waste from dining commons is fed into an anaerobic digestion system, where it is broken down to generate a nutrient-rich liquid and then used to nourish soils of the campus cropland

consists of 50% mineral matter, 5% organic matter (includes living/dead microorganisms and decaying material of plants and animals), and 45% air or water

the base geological material, rock, or sediment of a particular location

the slow physical, chemical, and biological weathering of parent material and the accumulation and transformation of organic matter

the distinct layers of soil that develop as wind, water, and organisms move and sort the fine particles weathering creates, producing a soil profile

the litter layer of soil, consisting mostly of organic matter

the topsoil, consisting of some organic material mixed with mineral components

the zone of leaching in soil (eluviation), where mineral and organic matter tend to leave this horizon and move into the next lower layer

the subsoil, where minerals and organic matter accumulate from above

layer of soil that consists largely of weathered parent material

layer of soil where it only consists of the rock or sediment of pure parent material

the crucial horizon for agriculture and ecosystems; it is the most nutritive, taking its texture, coloration, and water-holding capacity from the humus content

partially decomposed organic matter

determined by the size of its particles, ranging from clay (the smallest), silt (intermediate), to sand (the largest)

soil with an even mixture of clay, silt, and sand

the process by which plants’ roots donate hydrogen ions to the soil in exchange for cations (positively charged ions) of nutritional value such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium; often referred to as the nutrient-holding capacity of soil

deterioration that diminishes land’s productivity and biodiversity, impairs the functioning of its ecosystems, and reduces the ecosystem services the land can offer