Soil Properties Overview

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to soil properties, including definitions of essential terms.

Clay

The smallest soil particle.

Sand

The largest soil particle.

Silt

An intermediate sized soil particle.

Soil Texture

A physical property of the soil referring to the relative percentages of sand, silt, and clay.

Topsoil

The upper part of the soil profile that is normally cultivated.

Subsoil

The area in the soil profile below the topsoil which accumulates clay.

Compaction

A condition where soil particles are pressed together, restricting air and water movement.

Mottling

Spots of color in the soil that indicate internal drainage and aeration.

Infiltration

The movement of water into the soil.

Percolation

The movement of water through the soil.

No-till planting

The planting of a crop into the previous crop stubble or cover crop, disturbing only the immediate seed zone.

Reduced-tillage

The elimination of one or more operational procedures from a conventional system of working the soil.

Peds

Naturally formed groups of soil particles.

Clods

Artificially formed groups of soil particles.

Fragipans

Layers of soil that occur naturally in or near the subsoil due to excessive silt content.

Biological Properties of Soil

Refers to the living organisms found in the soil, including plants, bacteria, fungi, and animals.

Nitrogen cycle

The biochemical changes undergone by atmospheric nitrogen from its use by organisms to decomposition and conversion back to the atmosphere.

Homogenous mixtures

Soil mixtures that contain the same type of soil particles.

Heterogeneous mixtures

Soil mixtures that contain different types of soil particles.

pH

A numerical measure of the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the soil solution.