SOIL VOCABULARY

SOIL VOCABULARY

1.- Soil: contains weathered rocks (sand, silt, clay), organic matter, air and water.

2.- Organic matter: decomposing plant and animal materials found in top soil.

3.- Soil composition: the ingredients that make up a sample of soil.

4.- Nutrients: essential elements required by and organism to grow and reproduce.

5.- Decompose: break down of plants, animals, etc. into soil.

6.- Weathering: breakup of rocks caused by chemical or mechanical process.

7.- Pieces of weathered: sand, silt and clay.

8.- Sand: largest particles.

10.- Clay: small particles, stay at bottom.

11.- Soil Layers: organic, top soil, sub soil, parent material and bedrock.

12.- Top soil: weathered rocks (sand, silt, clay), organic matter, air and water.

13.- Subsoil: some chemical found in topsoil, not much organic matter.

14.- Parent material: slight broken up bedrock, no plant roots, very little organic matter.

15.- Bedrock: hard rocck.

16.- Texture: how soil feels.

17.- Grainy: large pieces, sand like.

18.- Silky: medium pieces, clay like.

19.- Sticky: small pieces, clay like.

20.- Color: chocolate bron, reddish brown, yellowish brown, grayish brown.

21.- Consistence: how easily soil breaks apart.

22.- Loose: soil breaks apart when held.

23.- Friable: breaks apart with small amount of pressure from one finger.

24.- Firm: breaks apart with a lot of pressure from two fingers.