Study Guide for Exam 4–ESS 210

Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 17

1.          Know the role of N in plants

2.          Know the plant available forms of N

3.          Explain the N cycle in soil

4.          What inputs are needed for the Haber Bosch process?

5.          Understand immobilization

6.          Explain mineralization, nitrification, and denitrification

7.          What type of soil environment is needed for denitrification?

8.          How do C:N ratios impact immobilization and mineralization?

9.          Explain the losses in the N cycle

10.        Why is S important in crop production?

11.        Explain N deficiency symptoms

12.        Explain S deficiency symptoms

13.        How has the Clear Air Act impacted S fertility?

14.        Why is pyrite so acidic?

15.        List some of the functions of K in plants

16.        K deficiency symptoms

17.        Know the functions of K in plants

18.        What are the K deficiency symptoms

19.        What forms of K are there? Any organic forms?

20.        What is luxury consumption?

21.        What is the role of P in cells?

22.        Explain P deficiency symptoms

23.        Are P and K mobile in the plant?

24.        Know P deficiency symptoms

25.        Know the effect of P losses on eutrophication

26.        Why is P so often unavailable in soil?

27.        How do P losses occur?

28.        How can one improve soil P availability?

29.        Why is fertilizer used?

30.        If given the fertilizer analysis, calculate how many pounds will need to be applied

31.        What is in a bag of fertilizer?

32.        Name one N, P, and K fertilizer material and their analysis

33.        Explain three different fertilizer application methods

34.        List the benefits of split applications of fertilizers

35.        Why is only about 50% of applied N accounted for in N tracer studies?

36.        Name the steps to soil erosion losses

37.        What are the effects of soil erosion on soil productivity

38.        How do sediments decrease water quality?

39.        How many tons of soil in an acre furrow slice?

40.        If one inch of soil is lost as sheet erosion, on a per acre basis how many tons is this?

41.        What is meant by “T”?

42.        What are the three erosional processes?

43.        Explain the differences between geologic and accelerated erosion

44.        From RUSLE, which factors can we control?

45.        Can we control slope or slope length?

46.        Know the principles to erosion control

47.       Know the difference between biodegradation and mineralization

48.        What factors impact pesticide degradation?

49.        Explain why a pesticide becomes more resistant to degradation as it moves farther down the soil profile.

50.        Be able to name one mode microbes use to degrade a pesticide

Enough...