
______________ is a mixture of weathered ____________, decayed
_____________ _____________, ________________ fragments,
______________, and ______________.

Soil can take ________________ of years to form.

There are _________ factors that affect soil formation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Different soils develop in different ________________; tropical soil is different than _____________ soil.

Soils that develop on ____________ slopes are different than soils that develop on
__________ land.

The rock and mineral fragments found in soils come from__________ that have been ______________.

Organic matter in soil comes from _______________, ________________, and
________________________.

Decayed organic matter turns into ________________, a source of
________________ for plants.

Soil has many _____________ between particles that holds __________ and
___________________.

Different layers of soil are called _______________________.

All the horizons of a soil form a ______________ _________________.

There are __________ main horizons for most soils. o _______ Horizon: the _______ layer of soil.

It is usually covered by ___________, made up of leaves, twigs, and organic matter, which helps prevent _____________ and
_______________________ of water from the soil.

 Also known as _________ _______________.

It is ___________ in color and _________________. o ________ Horizon: the _______ layer of soil.

Because there is less _____________ matter in this horizon, it is
_____________ in color than A Horizon.

Contains materials from A horizon that were moved down by
_________________: the removal of ___________ that have been
________________ in water. Water reacts with ____________ and carbon dioxide to form ____________. The acid dissolves the
_______________ in ____ horizon and carries them to ______ horizon. o ________ Horizon: the ____________ of the soil profile.

Consists of partially _________________ rock.

The ___________ soil horizon.

Does not contain much _____________ ___________ and is not affected by ___________________.

The soil layer that is the most like the ______________ material.

At many places on Earth, land is covered by a thick layer of ______________ that was deposited by _________________. o This material is an unsorted mixture of _________, __________,
__________, and _______________ that was left after the glacial ice melted. It is extremely __________________.

Many different ____________ of soil exist, based on ______________ and
_______________.

Desert soils are _____________ and have little _____________ matter.

Prairie soils have thick, dark ______ horizons because of the grasses contributing lots of ____________ _______________.

_______________ also affects soils. o Steep slopes have _____________ soils because material moves downhill before it can be weathered. o Bottomland soils are _________ , _________, and full of organic matter because sediment and water are plentiful.