Soil

Soil Composition

10

What do you call the process of breaking down rocks into smaller pieces?

Weathering

20

These materials make up 45% of the soil's composition.

Mineral Particles

30

TRUE or FALSE. 30% of the soil is water.

FALSE

40

Soil is composed of 5% organic matter. Of this 5%, how much does humus take up?

80%

50

What percent of the soil is composed of air?

25%

Soil Texture

10

Which soil particle has the largest size?

Sand

20

This soil particle is the smallest, with size of less than 0.002 mm.

Clay

30

This soil, composed mostly of silt, is light and can retain moisture well.

Silty soil

40

This type of soil is made up of 25% clay, 30% sand, and 45% silt, believed to be the best when it comes to supporting plant life.

Loam

50

This type of soil is mostly composed of sand, characterized by being light, warm, and dry and can drain water very quickly.

Sandy soil

Soil Structure

10

Soils usually form clumps called ________.

Peds

20

This type of soil structure allows slow infiltration of water and can be a good structure for planting and germination.

Granular

30

This soil structure allows moderate water infiltration and common in surface soils which are high in clay content.

Blocky

40

This type of soil structure allows moderate water infiltration and has vertical cracks due to the downward movement of roots and water.

Prismatic

50

This type of soil structure allows slow water infiltration and hinders root growth because of its compacted structure.

Platy or massive

Soil Horizons

10

These two soil horizons make up the top soil.

O and A

20

Soil horizons O, A, E, and B make up the "true soil", also called ______.

Solum

30

This soil horizon is also known as the bedrock, composed of unweathered parent materials.

R

40

This soil horizon is also known as the zone of eluviation and leaching.

E

50

This soil horizon is also known as the subsoil and the zone of accumulation.

B

Agricultural Science

10

This is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is.

pH level

20

TRUE or FALSE. The deeper the soil horizon, the lighter its color.

TRUE.

30

This nutrient is also known as the leaf maker. It aids the production of new cells and green pigments.

Nitrogen

40

This nutrient is also known as the flower inducer or fruit maker. It encourages the uptake of water and essential in the development of flowers and fruits.

Potassium

50

This nutrient is also known as the root maker or flower inducer. This encourages root growth and helps with the transformation of solar energy into chemical energy.

Phosphorus