Soil Profile
Which layer would you find the largest rocks?
The bedrock
Name the 4 things that plants need to live:
Air
Water
Light
Nutrients
A piece of rock from a mountaintop is found on a beach near an ocean. What is this an example of?
erosion
We put soil in between a paper towel, folded it over and smashed it. What component of the soil came out?
Water
Describe the type of soil you would like to have in a good garden.
Dark rich topsoil
soil with lots of nutrients
good mixture of loam in soil
What is soil mostly composed of?
rock material
If plants are not growing well in a soil, what is one way to fix it?
Add nutrients
What are the two categories of weathering?
Physical weathering
Chemical weathering
A water truck keeps the soil wet at a construction site. Why?
To keep the soil from blowing away.
What is organic and inorganic matter?
Organic matter- living or once living
inorganic matter- nonliving
Name the four components of soil.
air, water, minerals, organic matter
Is a plant organic matter or inorganic matter?
Organic Matter
What direction does erosion move Earths materials?
downward
In our soil we found a caterpillar, grass, roots and other bugs. What type of matter are these an example of?
Organic Matter
Name 3 inorganic things found in soil.
Rocks, minerals, air, water
Name the percentage of each of the following found in soil.
Air
Water
Minerals
Organic Matter
Air- 25%
Water- 25%
Minerals- 45%
Organic Matter- 5%
What is agriculture?
the science or practice of farming.
What is weathering?
When rocks break into smaller rock particles.
What gives topsoil its dark color?
Decaying and living things.
What is the breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces called sediments?
weathering
If the percentage of water went up in soil, which other component of soil is likely to go down?
air
What is the main reason plants need soil?
To hold them in place.
What are four types of weathering?
Examples:
wind
water
rust
acid rain
ice
plant
Name the 3 types of soil.
Sand, Silt, clay and loam
Name the layer that is one layer below the topsoil.
subsoil