which of the following are affected by soil temperatures? course hero

What are the factors that affect soil temperature?

Soil temperature is influenced by: climate, season, aspect, water levels, soil colour, plant cover and soil depth. The temperature in a soil will determine the speed of chemical and biological activity. Clay soils take a long time to warm up but are also slower to cool down.

What determines the speed of chemical and biological activity in soil?

The temperature in a soil will determine the speed of chemical and biological activity. Clay soils take a long time to warm up but are also slower to cool down. The temperature in a sandy soil can change rapidly.

What happens when the soil gets too hot or cold?

If the soil gets too hot or too cold then the uptake of water and the growth of roots will slow up. The slope of the land and the direction that it faces directly affects the temperature of a soil.

Why do sandy soils warm up quickly?

Because sandy soils don't contain much water but lots of air, they warm up quickly. They are useful for growing early crops. Soil temperature affects the speed of chemical reactions.

Which aspect of the land affects the temperature of the soil?

Aspect. The slope of the land and the direction that it faces directly affects the temperature of a soil. Sun will fall on north-facing land during the day in both summer and winter. During the winter south-facing slopes will get less sun during the day.

How does soil temperature affect chemical reactions?

Soil temperature affects the speed of chemical reactions. Warm temperatures speed up reactions and colder ones slow them down. Soil temperature affects the breakdown of parent material and how fast micro-organisms work. Both are important in adding and returning nutrients to the soil. Soil temperature is influenced by the climate ...

How does temperature affect the speed of chemical and biological activity?

The temperature in a soil will determine the speed of chemical and biological activity. Clay soils take a long time to warm up but are also slower to cool down. The temperature in a sandy soil can change rapidly. Wet soils also take longer to warm up.

Why is temperature important for plants?

The temperature of a soil is important as it affects how fast plants can grow. Soil temperature also affects how quickly plants take up water and nutrients. Clay soils are cold, wet soils. Germination and seedling growth is usually slow. Because sandy soils don't contain much water but lots of air, they warm up quickly.

How does winter affect plants?

In winter it takes a long time for organic matter to break down in soils in the cooler parts of New Zealand. Plants are also affected by soil temperature. When the temperature is right for a particular plant its roots will keep growing. If the soil gets too hot or too cold then the uptake of water and the growth of roots will slow up.

What is the soil full of?

In a warm climate or during summer, the soil is full of chemical and physical activity.

When does the soil on a slope cool down?

The soil on these slopes cools down quickly in the autumn and warms up slowly in the spring. In the middle of summer these areas will have better growth because the soil is not as hot and dry as the soil on a north-facing slope.

Why do we need soil?

Soil just sits there, right? But, soil is the foundation for many biological processes that we rely on. Plants need soil to take root, and we need plants because they produce energy for the ecosystem through photosynthesis. It provides a home for burrowing animals and helps to break down decaying organisms.

What Are Natural Resources?

Although this sequence feels pretty mundane, none of these actions would be possible without natural resources.

What does it mean when there is too little precipitation?

All living things need water to survive. During a drought, there can be extreme damage to our natural resources that create food, like agriculture which results in periods of food scarcity for the population.

What are the factors that affect soil temperature?

Some of the factors that affect soil temperature include diurnal and annual cycles, and irregular episodic changes in weather (i.e., cloudines s, drought, wet, warm, rainfall, and cold events ). Also, landscape formation, regional differences, vegetation, and soil management practices by humans are some other factors.

How does soil temperature affect microbial activity?

Soil temperature may affect microbial activity both directly and indirectly, through its impact on other factors such as soil moisture and litter quantity. Higher temperatures are associated with higher rates of microbial activity. Moreover, changes in soil temperature also affect the microbial community composition.

How is soil temperature calculated?

Soil temperature is required for calculating most belowground ecosystem processes, including root growth and respiration, decomposition, and nitrogen mineralization . Soil temperature, however, is not a standard variable collected at most weather stations. Because soil temperature responds to the net effect of the daily surface energy balance, it can be estimated by computing a running average of air temperature, with progressively longer integration times as soil depth increases (Parton, 1984; Stathers et al., 1985 ). Zheng et al. (1993) employed an 11-day running average air temperature, modified by daily precipitation and overstory LAI, to predict soil temperatures at 10 cm depth. When tested on sites across the United States, estimated soil temperatures were close to those observed ( r2 = 0.86–0.95).

Why is soil temperature important?

Soil temperature is often a significant factor, especially in agriculture and land treatment of organic wastes, because growth of biological systems is closely controlled by soil temperature. In addition, soil temperature influences the physical, chemical, and microbiological processes that take place in soil.

Why use thermocouples for soil temperature?

For precise temperature measurements, thermocouples are preferred because of their quick response to sudden changes in temperature and ease of automation (see Chapter 4 ). Soil temperature is influenced by solar radiation, daily and monthly fluctuations of air temperatures as well as vegetation, amount of precipitation, etc. For accurate measurements of soil temperature, measuring instruments should be protected from solar radiation, wind, and precipitation. Taylor and Jackson (1986) provide detailed descriptions of methods and instruments available for measuring soil temperature.

What is the role of soil temperature in agriculture?

In addition, soil temperature influences the physical, chemical, and microbiological processes that take place in soil. These processes may control the fate and ...

How to measure soil temperature?

These processes may control the transport and fate of contaminants in the subsurface environment. Soil temperature can be easily measured by using a thermometer. Some of the thermometers normally used in soil work include mercury or liquid in glass, bimetallic, bourdon, and electrical-resistance thermometers.