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devon soil
terms from our soil unit
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Weathering | the breaking down of rocks into sediments |
Mechanical Weathering | the physical break up of rocks. |
Biological weathering | the breakdown of rock by living organisms (plants, fungi, and bacteria) |
Chemical Weathering | the breakdown of rocks by water, chemicals, and gasses |
erosion | is the breaking down of rock and carrying those pieces away with wind and water |
Frost wedging | the freezing and thawing of water within cracks in rocks |
Soil is a mixture of (five things) | weathered rock (sediments), organic matter (living and dead material), Minerals, water and air. |
Compost | dead and decaying plant matter. |
Fertile soil | soil that plants will grow in - has all three nutrients |
Humus | Compost mixed with rocks and minerals – it forms the dark part of the soil |
3 nutrients plants need | 3 minerals N-nitrogen, P-phosphorus, and K – potassium |
Soil profile | a picture of what the layers of soil look like underground. |
Soil texture | describes how soil feels when it is rubbed between your fingers |
Water permeability | How fast the water drains through the soil – it’s based on the particle size of the sediment. |
Water holding capacity | a soil’s ability to hold water |
Loam | a mixture of sand, silt, and clay |
Desertification | the formation of deserts due to over farming |
Dustbowl | When large areas of of American farmland turned into deserts because of over farming and erosion |
Wind brakes | rows of trees along the edges of fields to cut down on the wind. |
Covering soil with hay | Covering bare soils with straw to hold the soil in place |
Terraces | Cutting steps into the sides of hills to prevent erosion |
Plowing across grain | reduce erosion from rain |
Fallow fields | not planting a crop in a field to allow the field to recover nutrients. |
Rotating crops | planting a different crop in each field every year. Different plants use different minerals so it gives the soil a chance to recover. |
No till farming | leaves the stalks of the previous crop in the ground and plants the seeds without digging up the soil. |