Soil Formation Worksheet

Soil Formation Worksheet Soil is a mixture of weathered rock & organic matter that usually covers bedrock (solid rock that underlies all soil). Both chemical & mechanical processes are involved in the development of soils.      Chemical weathering turns hard minerals into soft ones Mechanical weathering breaks solid rock into smaller pieces Plant & animals add organic materials in the form of waste products & dead organisms The decay of organic matter produces acids which accelerate chemical weathering Burrowing Animals, such as earthworms, insects, & rodents, help circulate air and water through the soil & mix mineral & organic remains The material from which soil forms is called its parent material. Soil that has weathered directly from the bedrock beneath it and therefore matches its parent material is called residual soil. Soil that does not match the bedrock it is over is called transported soil. It did not weather from the bedrock beneath it but was brought there by agents of erosion such as winds, rivers, or glaciers. Much of New England & the Midwest are covered by soil that was deposited by the movement of glaciers after the last Ice Age. A cross section of soil exposed by digging is called the soil profile. The weathering of soil produces layers known as soil horizons. The topsoil or A horizon is usually rich in dark-colored organic remains called humus (labeled O horizon below). The subsoil or B horizon contains minerals that have been transported deeper by groundwater. Most of the clay in soil has also been washed down to this layer. The partially weathered bedrock or C horizon is composed of broken up bedrock on top of the solid bedrock (parent material). Soil erosion is the removal of topsoil by the action of running water or wind. It takes between 100 & 400 years for one centimeter of topsoil to form. Loss of topsoil can be caused when plants root are no longer present to hold down soil. Salting roads can raise the salinity of the soil and kill the plants. Over grazing can kill plants. Winds construction & mining can all effect plant cover.      Means of soil conservation include the following: Windbreaks – belts of trees along the edge of fields Contour farming – crops are planted in rows parallel to land contours Terraces- flattening hill slopes to slow the flow of water & erosion Strip Cropping – a crop that leaves bare ground between rows is alternated with a crop that completely covers the ground, ex. Corn & Alfalfa No-till method- plowing, planting and fertilizing are all done at the same time so there is less chance of wind removing topsoil Soil Formati Formation on Workshee Worksheet t Questio Questions ns 1. What does chemical weathering do? _________________________________________________________________ 2. What does mechanical weathering do? _______________________________________________________________ 3. What is soil? ___________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What do plants and animals add to the soil? ___________________________________________________________ 5. How does decay of organic matter change the soil? _____________________________________________________ 6. How do burrowing animals contribute to the soil? ______________________________________________________ 7. What is the difference between: a. Parent material: ___________________________________________________________________________ b. Residual Soil: _____________________________________________________________________________ c. Transported Soil: __________________________________________________________________________ 8. How did much of the soil in the Midwest get there? ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________. 9. The layers of soil are called _________________________. 10. A horizon is also known as __________________________. 11. O horizon is also known as ___________________________. Which is what? ________________________________ 12. What is the problem with plants not being on the topsoil? ______________________________________________ 13. What five things affect/kill the plant cover that helps stop erosion? _______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 14. The cross-section of soil exposed by digging is called ____________________________________. 15. What two things cause soil erosion? __________________________________________. 16. ______Which layer contains the most organic material? a. A horizon B.B horizon C.C horizon D. the bedrock 17. ______Which layer contains the most clay? a. A horizon B.B horizon D. the bedrock C.C horizon 18. _____Which layer contains broken up bedrock on top of the solid bedrock? a. A horizon B.B horizon C.C horizon D. the bedrock 19. ______Which layer do you find the most minerals? a. A horizon B.B horizon C.C horizon D. the bedrock 20. ______Approximately how many years does one centimeter of topsoil take to form? a. 100 – 400 years B. 1000 – 4000 years C. 10 – 40 years D. 10,000 – 40,000 years 21. ______Which of the following is found in the greatest % in soil? a. Mineral matter B. Organic matter C. Water D. Air 22. _____How is soil created from rock? a. physical weathering without chemical weathering b. chemical weathering without physical weathering c. erosion without weathering d. weathering without erosion 23. ______Which layer of a soil profile forms first from the bedrock? a. A horizon B. B horizon C. C horizon D. humus Matching a. No Till Method B. Terraces C. Strip Cropping D. Windbreaks E. Contour Farming 24. ____ Crops that are planted in rows parallel to land contours 25. ____ A crop that leaves bare ground between row is alternated with a crop that completely covers the ground 26. ____ Belts of trees along edges of fields 27. ____ Flattening hill slopes to slow the flow of water and erosion 28. ____ Plowing, planting and fertilizing are all done at the same time so there is less chance of wind removing soil 29. For the soil profiles below, label the horizons (A, B, or C) and the parent material in each of the soil profiles using the spaces provided next to each image.