Soil

On average, how much air does soil consist of?

25%

On average, how much water does soil consist of?

25%

On average, how much mineral does soil consist of?

45%

On average, how much organic matter does soil consist of?

5%

What layer is the topsoil; which is the layer with mineral matter mixed with humus (organic matter), is loosely bound, and normally the most productive layer of the soil?

A horizon

What layer is the subsoil layer; which is usually lighter in color, dense, and low in organic matter, is the layer of accumulation, and consists of clay, iron, and minerals?

B horizon

What layer is the transition layer; which is almost completely void of organic material and is made up of partially weathered parent material?

C horizon

What layer is the leeching layer (eluviation); and is found between A and B horizons, is mostly clay and minerals have been leeched out, and consists of sand and silt?

E horizon

What layer is the organic layer; which consists of leaf litter and other loose and partly decayed organic material and is also on the surface of the soil?

O horizon

What layer is the furthest most layer and is unweathered?

bedrock

Carbonation, oxidation (rust), acid rain (sulfuric), and plant acid fall under which weathering category?

chemical

What factor can have a huge influence on the rate of soil formation in different regions?

climate

True or False: Soil forms from the top down

false

True or False: Younger soils have more defined layers

false

What factor has both plants and animals that help create soil?

living organisms

Organic activity, gravity, frost action, and abrasion fall under which weathering category?

mechanical

What are the two types of weathering?

mechanical and chemical

What refers to the minerals and organic materials present during the soil's formation?

parent material

What are five factors that influence the specific soil that develops?

parent material, climate, living organisms, topography, and time

What are the three noticeable parts in the rock material in soil?

sand, clay, and silt

What is soil?

soil is made of loose weathered rock and organic material

What factor would best fit the following phrase: It takes hundreds of years to form one inch of soil from parent material.

time

What factor consists of slope or hilliness that can have a major influence on the moisture and erosion of soils?

topography

True or False: Older soils have more defined layers

true

True or False: Soil forms from the bottom up

true

Where does most of our parent material come from?

we are mostly marine sediment (ocean in origin) or produced by stream-river action