Soils
What are three reasons why we study soils?
Snapshot of geologic, climatic, biological and human history
Waste decomposer
Carbon sink!
Source material for construction, medicine, art, etc.
Filter of water and wastes
Essential natural resource
Home to organisms
Medium for plant growth
Producer and absorber of gases
Medium of crop production
What is a wetland?
Areas where water covers the soil or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year
What are gymnosperms?
Naked seeds, have seeds exposed on cones or scales without flowers or fruit
What is the Lacey Act (1900)?
First federal law for wildlife protection which prevented interstate sale/trafficing of wildlife. It also supported states’ initiatives to restore wildlife population and required wildlife shipments to be clearly labeled
What are three sources of phosphorus in waterways?
Soil erosion (attaches to soil particles)
Fertilizer (lawn and agricultural)
Animal waste
Point sources - water treatment lants
Nonpoint sources - stormwater
What is dirt?
Soil that is removed from its natural environment
Provide two examples of an inland/non-tidal wetland
Freshwater marsh
Bog
Swamp
Fen
Vernal Pool
What are silvics?
Ecological characteristics of each tree species (how a species grows and what it requires to thrive)
What animal does White-nose Syndrome impact?
Bats
What is the primary goal of the Clean Water Act (CWA)?
To restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters
What is pedogenesis?
The study of the origin and formation of soil and used to describe the formation of soil horizons
What is the major characteristic of a vernal pool?
They are often temporary bodies of water, drying up in the summer
What are three things that forest fragmentation results in?
Degraded habitat
Increased pollution
Increased runoff into waterbodies
Invasive species access
More wildlife-human interactions
What animal experiences Chronic Wasting Disease?
Deer
What government agency regulates water by monitoring and sampling, water quality assessments, restoration plans (TMDL) and implementation practices in RI?
RI DEM Water Resources
What type of soil is most of RI?
Till soils (60%)
Bonus: this is because of the Pleistocene glaciation which transported glacial sediment known as glacial till. Glacial till is unsorted/stratified material deposited beneath and within glacial ice
What three characteristics are used to identify/delineate a wetland?
Hydrology: amount, distribution and movement of water in a given area; The prolonged presence of water creates conditions that favor the growth of specially adapted plants
Hydrophytes/hydrophytic vegetation: wetlands plants; specially adapted to grow in saturated soils
Hydric soils: soils that have a prolonged period of saturation, resulting in low-oxygen conditions; hydric means the space between the soil grains is filled with water
What does fascicled refer to?
Plant structures that grow in a tight bundle, cluster or tuft, usually attached to the same base (ex: pine trees)
What are exceptions to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act?
Regulated hunting of game species
Scientific research
Native American cultural ceremonies
What are two ways that we can minimize nonpoint source pollution?
Move water underground
Stabilize shares and streambanks
Vegetated buffers
Pervious surfaces
Best management practices
What are two properties of an outwash plain?
Dominantly sand and gravel sized particles
Rapid water movement, associated with aquifers
Apparent watertable
Areas without stones, boulders or stone walls
What is the difference between bogs and fens?
Bogs only receive water and nutrients from precipitation
Fens receive a significant portion of water and nutrients from groundwater sources
What is Basal Area (BA)?
Area of the cross-section of a tree at breast height (4.5 feet from the ground)
What do the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants (2000) offer?
States and Tribes can receive funding by writing a Wildlife Action Plan and revising every 10 years
Targets “Species of Greatest Conservation Need”
Identifies threats to particular species/habitats, and actions we are committing to take
What is Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)?
Tool for states to focus on waterways at risk
Measures how much pollution a system can handle per day to still meet water quality standards
Bonus: It is calculated by WDA (waste-load allocations - PS) + LA (load allocations - NPS) + MOS (margin of safety)