Soil Water
12 Soil Orders
Soil Texture
Soil Air and Temperature
Soil Chemistry
100

An ideal soil contains pore space with this % of water.

What is 25%?

100

This soil order is the most ideal for farming.

What is a mollisol?

100

Soils texture only refers to these 3 particles.

What is sand, silt, and clay?

100

An ideal soil has this % of air filled pore space.

What is 25%?

100

Alkaline soils are commonly found in this type of climate.

What are deserts, dry, arid, low rainfall climates?

200

These large soil pores are responsible for rapid water movement in saturated soils, where water movement is influenced by gravitational energy.

What are macropores?

200

This soil order is commonly found in dry, desert regions.

What are aridisols?

200

This soil particle has the most surface area due to its microscopic size.

What is clay?

200

These soil colors indicate poor aeration and reduced oxygen.

What is grey and blue?

200

The presence of these ions is responsible for soil acidity.

What are H+ (Hydrogen) ions?
300

This is where groundwater meets soil.

What is the water table?

300

This soil order is commonly found in wetlands.

What are histosols?

300

This type of soil is a blend of sand, silt, and clay particles. (Though not in equal proportions)

What is loam?

300

These types of plants (ex. pitcher plants) are adapted to anaerobic or poor airflow soil conditions.

What are hydrophytes or hydrophytic plants?

300

Most plant nutrients are available within this pH range.

What is 5.5 to 6.5?

400

When water reaches the soil surface, it meets a fork in the road, where it can make one of these 2 choices.

What is infiltrate or become surface runoff?

400

This soil order is known for its shrink-swell characteristics.

What are vertisols?

400

This soil is approximately 10% sand and 70% silt.

What is a silt loam?

400

Subsurface soil temperatures are warmer then surfaces soil temperatures during this time of year.

What is winter?

400

These types of soils are characterized by their extremely high sodium (Na) content which results in poor water infiltration, low osmotic potential, and hard white layers in the soil surface.

What are sodic soils?

500

This energy force is responsible for slow water movement in micropores and relies mostly on cohesion and adhesion for water movement.

What is matric energy?

500

This soil order is the "youngest" or least developed. Usually found in floodplains.

What are entisols?

500

This soil is 65% sand and 30% clay.

What is a sandy clay loam?

500

This physical process cools soil surfaces. 

What is evaporation?

500

This element becomes extremely soluble at low pH and can reach toxic levels for plants in acidic soils, resulting in nutrient deficiencies and stunted root growth.

What is aluminum (Al)?