Soil Vocabulary
Soil- The layers of unconsolidated (sediments are loosely arranged) material found at the earth's surface.
Three ways to identify soil:
1. Texture- describes the size of the particles
a. Grainy (feels like sand)
b. Silky (feels like silt)
c. Sticky (feels like wet clay)
2. Consistence- describes how easily the soil clumps can be broken apart
a. Loose
b. Friable
c. Firm
3. Color- The tint of the soil based off of its composition
Soil Composition- The materials that make up a sample of soil.Which includes organic material, air, water,
sand, silt, clay and minerals.
Soil Stability- A soil's resistance to breaking and manipulation under varying moisture conditions.
Organic Material- is matter that has come from a once-living organism (dead and decomposed plants and
animals)
Soil Horizons- Five soil layers in which soil exists.
They are as follows: 1. Surface 2. Topsoil 3. Subsoil 4. Parent Material 5. Bedrock
Soil O- Surface- This is the uppermost layer, the "organic" layer which is made up of dead plant matter for the
most part. Made mostly of leaf litter and humus.
Horizon A- Topsoil- This is the second layer of the soil. It too has lots of organic matter mixed in and is usually
darkly colored. Earthworms are found in this layer of the soil.
Horizon B- Subsoil- There isn't much organic material in here. Mostly characterized by clay sized particles.
More compact than Horizon A
Horizon C- Parent Material- This layer usually has lots of large rocks mixed in with soil deep underground.
Horizon R- Bedrock- This layer lies beneath the soil. In some places this can be quite near the surface and in
others it is very very deep. Unweathered rock that lies beneath all other layers.
Permeability- The degree to which something can penetrate or go through a material. Soil that is permeable
will allow air and water to move through the soil.
Porosity- The volume of all open spaces (pores) between the solid grains of soil.
Soil Type- Soils are named and classified on the basis of physical and chemical properties that are related to
their natural environment. Common soil types include forest, grassland, desert and tropical soils.
Desert Soil- Soil that has little rainfall and high temperatures all year long. Dry, sandy, firm and gritty.
Grassland Soil- this soil has lots of nutrients, is good for farming, reddish brown, loose consistence and silky
texture.
Forest Soil- These soils are often good for farming, are grayish brown to reddish brown due to small amounts
of iron or aluminum, loose consistence because they are very moist.
Tropical Grassland Soil- This soil tends to be weathered and greyish brown, because of the large amount of
fine particles in the soil the texture is sticky.
Soil Vocabulary
Soil- The layers of _____________________(sediments are loosely arranged) material found at the earth's
surface.
Three ways to identify soil:
1. Texture- describes the size of the ______________________________
a. _____________________ (feels like sand)
b. ______________________(feels like silt)
c. ______________________(feels like wet clay)
2. Consistence- describes how easily the soil clumps can be ___________________ _____________ a.
__________________________________
b. __________________________________
c. __________________________________
3. Color- The ______________ of the soil based off of its _________________________
Soil Composition- The materials that make up a sample of soil.Which includes _______________ material,
__________, _______________, ____________, _____________, _______________, and______________.
Soil Stability- A soil's resistance to breaking and manipulation under varying moisture conditions.
Organic Material- is matter that has come from a ______________-____________ organism (dead and
decomposed _________________ and ____________________)
Soil Horizons- Five soil layers in which soil exists.
They are as follows: 1. ________________ 2. __________________ 3. ___________________
4.______________________ 5. _______________________
Soil O- ______________- This is the uppermost layer, the "______________" layer which is made up of dead
plant matter for the most part. Made mostly of leaf litter and ________________.
Horizon A- ______________ This is the second layer of the soil. It too has lots of _____________ matter
mixed in and is usually ____________ colored. _______________are found in this layer of the soil.
Horizon B- _______________- There isn't much organic material in here. Mostly characterized by
____________ sized particles. More _________________than Horizon A
Horizon C- _________________ _________________ This layer usually has lots of large ___________
mixed in with soil ______________ underground.
Horizon R- _________________ This layer lies beneath the soil. In some places this can be quite near the
surface and in others it is very very deep. Unweathered ____________ that lies beneath ______
other________________.
Permeability- The degree to which something can penetrate or go through a material. Soil that is permeable
will allow ___________ and________________to move through the soil.
Porosity- The volume of all ___________ spaces (pores) between the solid _____________ of soil.
Soil Type- Soils are named and classified on the basis of physical and chemical properties that are related to
their natural environment. Common soil types include forest, grassland, desert and tropical soils.
Desert Soil- Soil that has little rainfall and high temperatures all year long. __________, __________,
______________, and ___________________
Grassland Soil- this soil has lots of nutrients, is good for ____________, reddish brown, _______________
consistence and ______________ texture.
Forest Soil- These soils are often good for ____________, are grayish brown to reddish brown due to small
amounts of iron or aluminum, _____________ consistence because they are very moist.
Tropical Grassland Soil- This soil tends to be weathered and greyish brown, because of the large amount of
_____________ particles in the soil the texture is ___________________.