Soil, Biomes and Land Use Review Guide
1. Be able to define/explain/locate all of the terms found on pg. 116
See section beginning on page 6.
2. Be able to explain at least 3 reasons why wetlands are important.
(1) Highest diversity
(2) Hydrophytes-plants adapted to water
(3) Marshes, swamps and bogs
3. How do people contribute to global warming by how they use the land?
Think about these things: sustainable farming—what does that entail? Grass fed beef, free
range chickens, no-till planting
Unsustainable farming (green revolution)—what does that entail? Industrialized beef, pork,
and poultry (chickens), dairy (eggs, milk and cheese), tilling the ground to plant
Does urbanization (living as we do near Potomac Falls) contribute to water pollution? i.e.
runoff, too much fertilizer and pesticides on our lawns and common areas
review Global warming unit information—what are the concerns about rising global
temperatures? What are some of the primary reasons, scientists believe this is occurring?
4. What are the two types of weathering? Chemical and Physical (Mechanical) wind, water
Understand the difference between them, and be able to give examples of them.
Chemical examples: acid rain, oxidation (rust), hydrolysis (reacting with water)
Physical (Mechanical) examples: pot holes, root wedging (trees growing ‘out’ of rocks)
5. Be able to describe a soil profile (name the layers in order) and explain not only what you
would expect in each horizon, but why you would expect them there.
ACRONYM: Old Animals Eat Barley, Corn and Rice
0-surface litter-leaves, twigs, trash, dead organisms, few insects, sm. animals, plant material
A-topsoil-fertile; most of insects, some burrowing animals; decaying organic matter, sm. roots
E-zone of leaching (movement of nutrients downward due to water)
B-subsoil-infertile, some rocks and clay
C-rock particles-more rocks, larger roots
R-bedrock-unweathered solid rock
6. Understand what causes desertification and salinization and what can be done to prevent
both of them.
Desertifcation: making into a desert. Poor farming practices overworked the soil
which in turn lost its fertility. Mono-croppping
Salinization: becoming salty. Soil that has become too salty to grow crops. Caused by
irrigation with salty water, and evaporation leaving the salt behind in the soil.
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Soil, Biomes and Land Use Review Guide
7. Know the difference between primary and secondary sucession and what you would expect to
see in each (plants that are characteristic of each). What type of plant does each start with?
8. Explain how logging and overgrazing can negatively affect land quality.
Logging-Rapid deforestation is one of the primary concerns as climate change occurs. Trees are
clear cut (all chopped down without reserve). Trees provide protective CO2 absorption, and O2
for our planet. If trees are sustainably reforested, the ecosystem is protected, and survives.
Other options to benefit our forests is to cut selectively. This process also helps preserve the
ecosystem.
Overgrazing-too many animals graze in an area for too long, damaging the grass beyond
recovery. Consider the thought process of ‘tragedy of the commons’ when you think about
how overgrazing can effect land quality. Consider desertification as a result.
9. Of land us in the U.S., which use of the land constitutes the highest percentage of land use in
this country?
30% of our land is forest and wood land. 98% is rural.
The least? 2% is used in urban settings (like we live in).
10. What are the characteristics of an urban area?
A place with at least 5,000 people per square mile. Suburban sprawl – increased population,
shopping, cars, fast food, and housing spreading out from the city.
How much of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2025?
80% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2025.
11. What is the purpose of the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978?
Manage grazing land, eliminate weeds, fence out cows from sensitive areas (saving habitat),
create smaller watering holes
12. How does ranching (especially cattle ranching) affect the land?
Easy to overgraze the land--77 acres to raise one cow. Disturbs or destroys habitats without
management, changes water flow—by using large waterholes.
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Soil, Biomes and Land Use Review Guide
13. Explain the differences between open pit and strip mining.
Open pit mining digs an open hole in the ground to remove the ore. Strip mining goes in a line
(trenches) along a ‘seam’ of ore destroying habitat along the way.
What are some of the environmental problems with mining?
(1) Disrupts land surface
(2) Habitat loss
(3) Toxic chemicals lead to pollution on land, air and water
14. What was the first national park?
Yellowstone
Who created it and why?
It was created by the U.S. government during the early 1870’s to prevent the
devastation that was seen in the Northeast.
15. How/why could unsustainable soil use lead to the downfall of a civilization?
Unsustainable soil use involves farming practices, mining, grazing, and urban development.
Poor farming practices involve: mono-cropping, inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides,
tilling the soil.
Mining is unsustainable because whatever ore is being mined is limited in nature, and not
replenishable.
Overgrazing is a common temptation due to pressures of providing more cattle for sale to fill
your pockets. Generally your ‘tragedy of the commons’ scenario.
Urban development is unsustainable as urban areas do not provide for the populations that
live on them.
Each of these items individually if carried to an extreme could ruin a civilization or country. If
several are combined, the possibilities increase.
16. What is a climograph? Practice reading one.
A climograph describes a biome (or ecosystem) by giving annual temperature ranges, and
precipitation.
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Soil, Biomes and Land Use Review Guide
17. Be able to describe the climate (including soil, animals, and adaptations for both plants and
animals of a tropical savannah, Arctic tundra, and both hot and cold deserts, as well as their
locations around the world and within the U.S. Know what the main differences between a
tropical savannah and a prairie are and if we have either one in the U.S.
Biome Review Guide: NOTE THIS IS NOTE COMPLETE, JUST A START. READ THE ABOVE
QUESTIONS, LOOK ON PAGES 96-105 IN YOUR BOOK.
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Desert - The driest biome with less than 25 cm of precipitation annually and very little plant or
animal life.
Grassland - A biome composed of large communities of grasses and other small plants. It gets
between 25-75 cm of precipitation annually.
Taiga - This biome has forests of evergreens; pine, fir, hemlock and spruce. Soils are acidic and
poor in minerals. It gets between 50 and 100 cm of precipitation annually.
Temperate Forest - This biome is composed of forests of broad-leaved hardwood trees that loose
their leaves every year. It receives between 70-150 cm of precipitation annually.
Tropical Forest - The tropical biome found nearest to the equator with warm temperatures and
the most plant growth of any biome. It receives over 200 cm of rain annually.
Tundra - The coldest land biome is found near Earth's north and south poles. It has no trees but
has low, slow growing vegetation with permafrost below the topsoil. The tundra usually receives
less than 25 cm of precipitation annually. Tundra in ‘Finnish’ (the language of Finland) means
‘barren land’.
How would you describe the following biomes like a climograph?
(use yearly temperature ranges, and precipitation)
Biomes
Temperate Grassland (Prairie)
Rainforest
Taiga
Desert
Savannah
Temperate/Deciduous Forest
Tundra
Temperature range
(has seasons)
70 and 85° F
-60 to 70 F
2-hot/wet
No seasons
4 seasons
2 seasons
Precipitation
Between a forest & a desert
Over 200 cm
50-100 cm
Less than 25 cm
25-75 cm
70-150 cm
Less than 25 cm
18. Be familiar with characteristics of the different aquatic biomes—how are they different from
each other and the special terminology of each.
Please refer to pages 106-107
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Soil, Biomes and Land Use Review Guide
19. Understand the difference between undernourished, malnourished, and over-nourished.
Undernourished-less than 1,000 calories a day.
Malnourished-an unvaried diet. Example: eating only rice.
Over-nourished-too much food (more than 2500 calories a day)
Would we find any of these in the United States? Which of these is most common in
wealthier countries and why?
Yes, over-nourishment occurs often in the U.S. Unfortunately our cheapest food is not
always our healthiest food. We must be educated to know how to eat well, then be
able to afford, and have access to some of the healthier food.
20. Why would you expect to find iron deficiency common in developing countries?
Iron deficiency causes anemia which symptoms include: loss of energy, and headaches. Iron
deficiency can be common in developing countries because red meat and eggs which carry
iron are more expensive to raise than plants such as corn, wheat or rice.
Why would you expect to find iodine deficiencies in inland developing countries?
Iodine is supplied by seafood. Therefore, if you do not live near the shore, and
are not supplied iodine in your salt (like we are in the U.S.), then it would be
hard to get enough iodine to be healthy.
21. What is a famine and what is the #1 cause of it?
Famine is large scale undernourishment. Famine is caused most frequently by drought.
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Soil, Biomes and Land Use Review Guide
Soil & Land Use Vocabulary
Estuary—where freshwater and saltwater (the ocean) mix
Ex. The Chesapeake Bay or the St. Lawrence Bay
Pelagic zone-2nd ocean level (open top of the ocean)
Benthic zone-3rd ocean level (middle of the ocean waters) temperature lowers as the light decreases
Abyssal zone-4th ocean level (deepest part of the ocean) animals use chemosynthesis to live
Littoral zone-1st freshwater zone, most light, shallow, around the edges of lakes or ponds—memory aid
(Lip of the pond)
Limnetic zone-2nd -the center of the freshwater top, well-lit
Profundal zone-deepest area, colder & denser, not much light
Succulent-plants that store water
Acacia—a tree that can survive drought by growing a long taproot, and is fire resistant
Zorilla-a skunk-like mammal that lives in Africa
Nutria-invasive, semi-aquatic rodent from S. Africa
Shrew-related to moles, they are not rodents, they are nocturnal.
Permafrost-layer of soil in the Tundra and Taiga that is permanently frozen
Hydrophyte-water loving plant
Desertification-when the soil is overused, and becomes a desert; making into a desert
Salinization-soil that becomes too salty to use for agriculture
Abiotic-non-living; devoid of life
Biome-ecosystem of specific temperature, and precipitation that is measured annually (yearly)
Soil horizons-layers of soil
Erosion-wearing away of soil
Weathering-the process of wearing away, either physical or chemical
Soil-pulverized rock with organic matter and minerals
Soil profile-a side view of the layers of soil
Deforestation-cutting down of trees
Loam-a mixture of all 3 types of soil: sand, silt and clay
Parent material-original rock that soil comes from
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Leaching-nutrients moving downward through the soil due to water
Arable-land the is suitable for agriculture
Arid-dry land, too little water for plants to survive
Topsoil-A horizon, fertile land decaying organic matter, small roots
Humus-organic matter, the decomposition of plants and animals
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