Download lab 1: soil buffering capacity and nutriens

LAB 1:
SOIL BUFFERING CAPACITY AND NUTRIENS
Questions AND ANSWERS
1)
If you were to add a basic substance to a soil, what would the soil need to resist
a variation in pH?
An acidic mineral or substance (note: note that fertilizers are slightly acidic)
2)
Should you add sand or silt to a soil to improve its buffering capacity?
Silt, because of its fine texture.
3)
If you want to grow a plant with healthy leaves, which of the three soils would
be ideal for this purpose? Why?
The soil that has the highest nitrogen content, because nitrogen (nitrates or
ammonia) has is directly responsible for leaf growth and green leaves. Adding
fertilizer with a high nitrogen to phosphorus and potassium ratio (ex.30-10-10:
%N-%P-%K) would also help.
4)
If you want to grow a plant with more fruit, which nutrient is especially important?
Which soil would be better?
Soil highest in phosphates because phosphorus (P) increases fruit
development.
5)
If you need to decrease the pH of a soil to favor plant’s growth, would you add
peat moss or potting soil to the existing soil?
Potting soil due its higher buffering capacity.
6)
Does a sandy soil generally have a good buffering capacity? Why?
No, it has weak buffering capacity due to lack of certain nutrients.
7)
Fertilizers used to enrich soils for plant growth are slightly acidic by nature. Why
does this generally not harm the plants?
Because most planting soil (black earth) has high buffering capacity.
8)
Soil forms from the ongoing erosive processes of the parent rock and
decomposition of organic matter. Which region’s soil has the best buffering
capacity: the St-Lawrence lowlands (valley) or Canadian Shield region?
The Lawrence lowlands (valley) has the best buffering capacity because of its
abundance of sedimentary rock which is formed from limestone (Calcium
carbonate), besides the fact that lime ores are found throughout this region.
The Canadian Shield is made up of igneous and metamorphic rock.