Name:____________________ Date:___________ P:_____

Soil Notes
Some call it dirt..But it is Soil !!! Soil is made of loose, weathered ______________ and _______________ material It provides support and nutrients for plant growth Erosion Is the ____________________ of _________________ and rock to new places. Weathering _________________ down _________________ to create soil It can be caused by ______________________, water, or living things Composition of soil Soil, on the average, consists of 45% _______________ 25% ________________ 25% __________ 5% _________________ There are five Components of soil: 1. Rock 2. Sand 3. Silt 4. Clay 5. Humus Rock Rock is __________________ and made of ____________________ Sand Sand is tiny __________________ of ______________ down rock. It doesnt hold water or have many nutrients Silt Silt is very small, ____________________ pieces of _____________. It is larger than clay, but smaller than sand. It is _______________________ when dry. Clay Clay holds water well It is __________________ and can be _____________________ when it is wet, but it is very hard when dry Clay has many _____________________ Clay is used for adobe or brick houses Humus Humus adds many ____________________ to the soil Humus is in the ___________________________ Humus is made of Leaves Twigs small animals other decayed substances There are thousands of different soils throughout the world. Five important factors influence the specific soil that develops. Parent Material This refers to the _________________ and _______________ materials present during the soils ______________________

 Materials from volcanoes, sediment transported by wind, water, or glaciers are some examples

Climate The climate of a particular _____________ can have a major ___________________ on the rate of soil __________________________ Weathering processes like the cycles of freezing and thawing, along with wetting and drying vary with each region Living Organisms Both _________________ and _________________ help create soil As they die, organic matter incorporates with weathered parent material and becomes part of the soil The actions of moles, earthworms, bacteria, fungi, and round worms mix and enrich the soil Topography The _____________ or hilliness of a region can have a major influence on the __________________ and ____________________ of soils In many regions, moist, poorly drained soils are located in __________ areas Drier, well drained soils are often found in _____________ hillsides. ______________ is often a problem here and can lead to lose of topsoil Time It takes ____________________ of years to form one inch of soil from parent material Only the top few _______________________ are productive in the sense of being able to ___________________ plant growth This is why soil conservation is so important! Soil Profile In a crosssection of soil, various zones are formed. 3 Layers of Soil 1. Topsoil (The layer on TOP) 2. Subsoil (The prefix SUB means under) 3. Bedrock (Its hard as rock down there!) O Horizon: Organic Layer It consists of ______________ litter and other ______________ material lying on the surface of the soil. A Horizon: Topsoil This layer is usually _____________ and _____________ with varying amounts of organic matter This is generally the most _________________ layer of the soil Conservation efforts are focused here! B Horizon: Subsoils Subsoils are usually _______________ in color, ________________ and _______ in organic matter. C Horizon: Transition This layer of transition is almost completely _____________ of organic matter and is made up of partially weathered parent material. Bedrock

Below the C horizon the __________________________ bedrock will be found