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Introduction to SOIL!. 3 rd Grade. Why is soil important?. Click ME to find out!. soil. The loose layer of the Earth’s surface, consisting of rock, mineral particles and decayed organic materials (humus). humus.
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Introduction to SOIL! 3rd Grade
Why is soil important? Click ME to find out!
soil The loose layer of the Earth’s surface, consisting of rock, mineral particles and decayed organic materials (humus).
humus • The dark brown or black organic substance made up of decayed plant and animal matter.
Sand • Small, loose grains of worn or disintegrated rock.
Silt • Silt soil is finer than sand, but still feels gritty. Silt is commonly found in floodplains and is the soil component that makes mud. Soils with a lot of silt make excellent farm land, but erode easily. This is the soil blown away in dust storms and carried down stream in floods.
Clay • Clay soil is a soil which has a heavy concentration of clay particles. The high clay content gives clay soil some properties which can make it challenging to work with.
Topsoil The upper portion of a soil, usually dark colored and rich inorganic material.
Subsoil • Also called: undersoil the layer of soil beneath the surface soil.
Organic Material • Organic material is material that comes from a living organism or an organism that was once alive. Organic material can decay or is a product of decay.
Inorganic Materials • Inorganic materials are things that are not living. Some examples are: Rocks, water, and dirt.