NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA
14/16 AHMADU BELLO WAY, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
MARCH/APRIL 2014 EXAMINATION
COURSE CODE: BIO 408
COURSE TITLE: SOIL ECOLOGY
TIME ALLOWED: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTION: ANSWER QUESTION 1 AND ANY OTHER THREE QUESTIONS
1(a). With a good schematic diagram, discuss the nitrogen cycle
(b). Discuss briefly the basic types of biogeochemical cycle
(c) Explain why soil taxonomy is said to be a hierarchical classification system
2(a). List soil orders found in the sub-Saharan Africa
(b). List four characteristics of a biogeochemical cycle
(c). What factors limit nutrients in the soil? Discuss them.
3(a). Discuss the applications of soil and plant tests, clearly explaining implications of the results.
(b). Discuss three main sources of soil nutrient
(c). Compacting a soil would likely reduce the amount of water available to growing plants. Give four reasons for this.
4(a). Define the following terms:
(i) Detritivous and
(ii) Detoxification in soil
(b). Present the important groups of soil organisms in a table under the headings shown below:
(i). General Grouping
(ii). Specific grouping
(iii). Examples
5(a). List:
(i.) the primary pools of nutrients in a soil (5marks)
(ii.) the primary photosynthesizers
(b). Discuss briefly the following:
(i). Soil water content – potential relationship
(ii). Soil osmotic potential
6(a). The primary minerals found in soils can be grouped in terms of size of fraction into very coarse, coarse, fine and very fine. Present this in a table giving the common name of each fraction group, means of observation and dominant composition.
(b)What are the ways by which carbon dioxide is released in the carbon cycle?
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