Soil Flashcards
The solid layer of rock beneath the soil
bedrock
The loose, weathered material on Earth’s surface in which plants can grow
soil
Dark-colored organic material in soil.
Humus
A measure of how well soil supports plant growth.
Fertility
Rich, fertile soil that is made up of about equal parts of clay, sand, and silt.
Loam
The layer of soil that differs in color and texture from the layers above or below it.
Soil Horizon
Mixture of humus, clay, and other minerals that forms the crumbly, topmost layer of soil.
Topsoil
The layer of soil beneath the topsoil that contains mostly clay and other minerals.
Subsoil
The loose layer of dead plant leaves and stems on the surface of the soil.
Litter
Soil organism that breaks down the remains of organisms and digests them.
decomposer
Characteristic of a material that is full of tiny, connected air spaces that water can seep through.
Permeable
A thick mass of grass roots and soil.
Sod
The area of the Great Plains where wind erosion caused soil loss during the 1930s.
Dust Bowl
plowing fields along the curves of a slope to prevent soil loss
Contour Plowing
Soil conservation method in which the dead stalks from the previous year’s crop are left in the ground to hold the soil in place.
Conservation Plowing
The planting of different crops in a field each year to maintain the soil’s fertility.
Crop Rotation
Anything in the environment that humans use.
Natural Resource
The management of soil to prevent its destruction
Soil Conservation
