memo

ENV 315 Soils

To: Ronak R. Patel
From: Holly Frederick

Date:

Re: Article Reviewjh

The Article Ancient Soil Chemists of the Amazon evaluates

how Amazonian culture was a thriving cilivaltions with a
popluation of over 6 million people in 1491. Which is a
questionable statictisic due to incapabilitys of the
Amazominan soil to be used as farming soil. The Amazonian
soil is rich in iron oxide and aluminum oxide casusing the
soils to not have a negative charge particles, is makes it
difficult for cations/plant nutorents to be attached and held
but rather just wash away, resultinh in poor farming soil s
thatthey do not contain the nutirents that a plant needs to
grow. The Rainforest has a thriving thirving fauana
conscentrion becsaue the nuirteints the plants receive come
crom the organic matter from the decomposing of the dead
plants.
The solution of this problem was terra Preta
which consist of amazoinans soils with biochars and
charcoal. Biochars are made of heating wood and other
oganic content. By the processes known as proysis, which in
turn breaks down the celusous and linging in the plants
casuing the hydrogen and oxygen molucaues to form water,
leaving the carbon in the soil. This process increases the
coneteton of carboxaltes in the soil, which have strong
negatives charges allowing the soil to hold on the plant
nuitrients.
Not only does terra preta give Amazonain soils
farming capabilitist, but scientist also found that by making
biochars by prycoslys resulting in the carbon remain in the
soil rather react and form Carbon dioxide, which is what
memo
happens when plants decompose. Reducing the inpact of
the greenhouse gasses that resposiable for global warming.
The pyroiises process can also be used to produce biodeiels
fuels the a processes known a hydrocarbon reforming.

Identify the characteristics of rainforest soil and why they are

typical characteristics of rainforest soil.
Identify the techniques used to improve the quality of
the soil and what characteristics of the soil showed
changes.
Consider how this technique can impact carbon storage
in the soil and the use of soil for agriculture.
Prepare a short memo reviewing the article and the
discussion points identified above.
The memo is due on Monday, November 23, 2015