click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Soil
Soil Formation, Horizons, Conservation
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Soil | loose mixture of rock particles, minerals, decayed organic material, air, and water in which plants grow. |
| Fertility | measure of how well soil supports growth (plants) |
| Humus | dark colored substance in soil from decayed organic material. |
| Bedrock | solid layer of rock beneath the soil. If exposed, it will weather. |
| Soil Horizons | 3 layers of soils that differ in color and texture |
| What are the 3 Layers of soil called? | Horizon A, Horizon B & Horizon C |
| Horizon A | topsoil, darker colored, crumbly, humus clay, and other minerals. |
| Horizon B | subsoil, mostly clay and other particles. Washed down or ‘leaching’ from Horizon A. There is little humus here. |
| Horizon C | bottom layer containing weather rock. |
| Soil Conservation | the management of soil to maintain fertility. |
| What are 3 Soil Conservation methods? | Crop rotation, Contour Plowing, Conservation Plowing |
| Crop Rotation | rotate crops in fields each year. A B C D fields |
| Contour Plowing | farming along a slope to stop water run-off. |
| Conservation Plowing | ‘Compost Farming’ is adding dead weeds, stalks or organic material back into the soil (i.e. corn stalks from a corn maze) |