h Q. What generalizations can you make about the relationships among Soil and Ve
ID: 116092 • Letter: H
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h
Q. What generalizations can you make about the relationships among Soil and Vegetation and/or precipitation/temperature? Base your answers on the below findings as well as your observations regarding the wider distribution of these particular soils and associated vegetation and climate indicated more generally in the maps above. For Instance: "Temperature has ______ effect on vegetation type", or "____soils are strongly associated with rainforests", or “Low moisture is associated with ___ soils, while low temperature is more correlated with ___ soils”, etc. (6 points)
Northern Canada, e.g., West of Iqaluit
Soil Order Cryosolic Vegetation/Ecozon Tundra/Northern Arctic
Temperature -14.5°C to -10.0°C Precipitation 275 – 374 mm
Southern Saskatchewan, just north of Regina
Soil Order Chernozemic Vegetation/Ecozon Evergreen Needleleaf Forest/Prairies Temperature -4.5°C to 0.0°C Precipitation 375 – 474 mm
Southern Quebec, north of Quebec City/west of Fredericton NB
Soil Order Podzolic Vegetation/Ecozone Deciduous Broadleaf Forest/Boreal Shield Temperature 0.5°C to 5.0°C Precipitation 725 – 974 mm
Amazon Basin:
Soil Order Oxisol Vegetation Evergreen Broadleaf Forest
Temperature 30.5°C to 35.0°C Precipitation 1475 – 2474 mm
Central Sahara Desert
Soil Order Aridisols Vegetation Barren or Sparsely vegetated
Temperature 30.5°C to 35.0°C Precipitation 0 – 24 mm
Explanation / Answer
Temperature is a primary factor affecting the rate of plant development. Warmer temperatures expected with climate change and the potential for more extreme temperature events will impact plant productivity.
Most tropical rainforest soils relatively poor in nutrients. Millions of years of weathering and torrential rains have washed most of the nutrients out of the soil. More recent volcanic soils, however, can be very fertile. Tropical rain forest soils contain less organic matter than temperate forests and most of the available nutrients are found in the living plant and animal material. Nutrients in the soil are often in forms that are not accessible by plants.
Constant warmth and moisture promote rapid decay of organic matter. When a tree dies in the rainforest, living organisms quickly absorb the nutrients before they have a chance to be washed away. When tropical forests are cut and burned, heavy rains can quickly wash the released nutrients away, leaving the soil even more impoverished.
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