Final Exam Questions

Hi Maja!

"List 4 soil properties that favor nitrate (NO3) leaching losses from the soil" is a question from a past final. What does it mean by soil properties? Like aggregation, denitrification etc?

yes, soil aggregation, denitrification are soil properties, but they are not examples of soil properties that are most directly related to nitrate leaching losses. High soil water content, dominance of large pores, coarse texture, high number of negative charges on soil particles are directly leading to high nitrate losses.

Could anyone tell me what these soils are? LF (5-0 cm)

Ah (0-8 cm) 
Ck1 (8-43 cm) 
Ck2 (43-100 cm) 

(mixed forest under cold and humid climate, good natural drainage) and... L (8-6 cm) 4

F (6-0 cm) 
C1 (0-3 cm) 
C2 (3-18 cm) 
C3 (18-65 cm) 
(tundra under extremely cold and humid climate, good natural drainage)

Thank you!

Both of those soils are Regosols, because they do not have B horizon since soil formation is limited in a cold climate.

Hi Maja,

Is absence of B horizon alone enough to classify a soil as Regosol? If, say, there is no B horizon but A horizon is >10cm thick, or there is no B horizon and A horizon is thin but C horizon is gleyed, would these soils still be classified as Regosol?

Thank you