FORESTRY
SOIL SCIENCE
Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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The A horizon
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The B horizon
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The C horizon
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None of the above
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Detailed explanation-1: -B horizon or subsoil – It is the horizon present just below the topsoil and above the bedrock. It contains less humus. Moreover, this layer holds more water than topsoil and is light brown due to the presence of clay soil. C horizon or Saprolite-This layer is made up of broken bedrock.
Detailed explanation-2: -The B horizon lies underneath the A horizon and is commonly called the subsoil. It is the horizon of maximum accumulation, or illuviation, of clay, iron, aluminum, or other compounds leached from the A horizon. In some soils the B horizon forms through alteration of material in place rather than by illuviation.
Detailed explanation-3: -Master Horizons. The A, B, and C horizons are known as master horizons.
Detailed explanation-4: -The C horizon often contains free lime and natural gypsum, and soluble salts. The shallow B horizon is impervious when wet and often produces a perched water table (Miller and Brierley, 2011). The B horizon then dries out to form a very hard layer with little plant available water.
Detailed explanation-5: -Below A lies the B horizon. In mature soils this layer is characterized by an accumulation of clay (small particles less than 0.002 mm [0.00008 inch] in diameter) that has either been deposited out of percolating waters or precipitated by chemical processes involving dissolved products of weathering.