Soil Basics
Which natural processes contribute the most to forming soil over long periods of time?
Weathering and erosion.
Which soil property depends on the mixture of different particle sizes?
Texture.
What process transports sediment by wind, water, ice, or gravity?
Erosion.
Which action best protects soil in a yard?
Planting grass to reduce erosion.
Which rock forms when sediment is compacted or cemented together?
Sedimentary rock.
Why is soil not identical to its parent rock?
It mixes rock with decayed plants and animals.
Which soil layer contains unweathered parent rock (Layer 4)?
The bottom layer (bedrock).
Which natural force is the main cause of beach sand being carried away along the shoreline?
Water (wave) erosion.
How can farmers reduce erosion on slopes?
Contour plowing.
What do we call the long-term processes that form and transform rocks?
The rock cycle.
What term describes small pieces of rock created by weathering?
Sediment.
How do plants help maintain soil quality?
They add organic matter.
Which force of erosion causes valleys and canyons to form over long periods of time?
Flowing water.
Healthy soil is best maintained by…
Keeping plants growing to hold soil in place.
Which type of rock is most likely formed by Process X (heat & pressure)?
Metamorphic rock.
Why is sand less productive for growing plants?
It does not hold water well.
What is the best indicator of healthy soil?
Many living organisms.
What do plants help prevent that protects soil?
Soil erosion.
What soil conservation method uses leftover plant material, like stalks and leaves, to cover the soil and reduce erosion?
Mulching (or leaving crop residues).
What process forms igneous rock?
Cooling and hardening of magma/lava.
What material is the original source of soil formation?
Parent rocks.
Why does soil vary around the world?
Soil components differ by location.
What happens to soil on farmland if plants are removed?
Soil erodes and nutrients are lost.
Why is maintaining plant growth important for soil?
Plants prevent erosion and hold nutrients.
What two processes form sedimentary rock?
Compaction and cementation.