1	Plants and Agriculture All life is dependent on the transformation of solar energy into chemical energy by plants. Illinois is a major agricultural state.
2	Reading Assignment In chapter 29 read pages 637-643 including Box 29.1 AND pages 651 – 658.
3	Ancient Greening of the Earth Species in the Green algae gained the ability to grow with tissue exposed to air (rather than requiring being under water). Once they could grow out of water, plants covered most of the terrestrial earth making it green. Large amounts of carbon were moved from the air into coal deposits.
4	Terrestrial Plants Plants growing on land - their shoots are seeking light from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air, while their roots seek water and nutrients from below the surface. The growth of roots -to assure a supply of water for the plant- required the sending of organic matter below the surface. Organic matter below the surface leads to the development of soil.
5	SOIL The soil at the surface of the earth is a complex mixture that is the result of activity by plants and animals. Space for gases to be exchanged and for water to infiltrate are very important. Pore space is the technical term for that space.
6	Parts of Soil Mineral particles Organic matter Water Air Organisms The best soils are about 25% water, 25% air, 45% mineral particles and 5% organic matter.
7	Living Components of Soil Soil organisms can be large, but many are small Badger Ground squirrels Cicada Crayfish Earthworm Ants Soil organisms can be microorganisms Fungi Protista Bacteria and Archaea
8	Mineral particles Soil texture is based on the mineral particles in the soil. The fine-earth fraction includes all particles below 2 mm in diameter; SAND 2 mm – 0.05 mm SILT 0.05 mm – 0.002 mm CLAY <0.002 mm
9	Soil Texture Names The proportions of sand, silt and clay determine the texture name given the soil. LOAM is the name given to soils that have the most desirable mixtures for crop growth LOAM has all 3 sizes of mineral particles. 10- 25% CLAY 30- 50% SILT 30- 50% SAND
10	Mineral particles of soil may have been transported Transporting Agents are: ICE glacial till WATER alluvial, lacustrine WIND loess Illinois is dominated by transported soils. The soils UIC is built on are lacustrine deposits (accumulated at bottom of Glacial Lake Chicago).
11	Glacial Till Moraines are made up of glacial till Glacial till is characterized by heterogeneous particle sizes. The glaciers ground the rock, but many pieces escaped so sand, gravel, and even boulders occur mixed in with silt and clay Alluvial and loess soils have a very uniform particle size
12	Soil Development
13	Illinois in 1800
14	A quality prairie
15	IL before and after
16	Illinois Agriculture The major crops are CORN and SOYBEANS. Agriculture uses predominantly plants with an ANNUAL life cycle. CORN is in the Grass family SOYBEAN is in the Legume family
17	Materials Removed by Agriculture CH₂O, carbohydrate, is the main product produced by plants. The harvested grains contain nitrogen and phosphorus as well as carbohydrate. Nitrogen (as anhydrous ammonia), Phosphorus and Calcium (to regulate pH) are the main things added to soil by farmers in IL.
18	Tiles are lain in fields to drain away water
19	Deep ditches are necessary to drain IL
20	The central IL landscape
21	Soybeans as far as the eye can see
22	The Grass Family Seeds of the Grass family (grains) provide most human calories. Wheat Rice Corn All crops are highly modified by selection from the wild species. The process is referred to as domestication. Grasses are all wind or self pollinated.
23	Plant Life Cycles The major life cycles types are: Annual, Plant dies after producing its seeds, which is how plant overwinters. Biennial, plant does not flower in first year, but it dies in second year after flowering and producing seed. Perennial, plant lives more than two years. Typically, this type flowers and produces seed every year after maturity is reached.
24	Sexes in plants The flower of plants contains both female (ovule) and male (anther) parts. If the female part is fertilized by pollen from the male part of the same flower, the plant is said to have selfed (self fertilization). If a individual is fertilized by pollen from another individual it is said to be ‘outcrossed’. The petals of flowers often attract animal visits which bring pollen from other individuals resulting in outcrossing.
25	Vocabulary Agriculture Annual Biennial Clay Erosion Flower Loess Pollination Sand Selfed Silt