Download Soil Study Guide

Name________________________________ Test Date______________________ Soil Study Guide
PLANTS: This section is review information from previous
grades
Plant Parts:
Root – holds the plant in the ground, absorbs water and minerals in soil
Stem – holds the plant up, water travels through the stem to the other plant parts
Leaves – make the food for the plant, made up of cells
Flower – where the seeds are made for the plant
Seeds – the first stage of the growth cycle (parts are seed coat, seedling, and food)
*Seeds need water and warmth to grow
*not all plants produce seeds
Plants Need: air, water, light, and soil to grow
Photosynthesis - food making process of a plant (this is why it is a producer)
Chlorophyll- where a plant gets its green coloring
Plants and animals are interdependent.
Soil Parts:
Humus – decayed matter in soil, adds nutrients to soil, located in topsoil layer
Silt – very small broken up pieces of rock, particles are larger than clay but smaller than
sand
Rock – a solid made of minerals
Sand – made of small grains of worn down rock, very few nutrients, doesn’t hold
water very well
Clay – contains tiny particles of soil that do hold water well and provides nutrients
(materials that plant & animals need to live and grow)
Soil has layers:
Topsoil – upper soil surface, best area for plants to grow
Subsoil – under the topsoil layer, middle layer, formed over long period of time
Bedrock – bottom layer, under subsoil, formed over long period of time by the action
of water
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subsoil and bedrock are not as good for plant growth as topsoil
soil takes a long time to form so it should not be wasted (conserved)
soil is formed over many years by weather, water, and living things breaking
down rocks to create soil (weathering)
erosion is the movement of weathered rocks and soil (can be slow or fast)
soil is important because many plants grow in soil, it provides support and
nutrients to the plant, other living things are interdependent with plants
TOPSOIL SUBSOIL BEDROCK Conservation (the act of protecting from loss or harm):
The best way to conserve soil is to protect plant life. Plants help to protect the Earth’s
topsoil against the effects of erosion. Here are some examples on how humans can
conserve soil:
Strip cropping- farmers plant crops in strips with grassy crops like clover planted in
between the rows of corn or other crops.
Contour plowing- farmers plant crops around the sides of the hill or across the slope
of a hill instead of up and down.
Conservation tillage- farmers leave last year’s crop remains on the field instead of
plowing them under.
Windbreaks- people plant strips of trees or bushes along the windy edge of a field to
prevent soil from blowing away.
Grassy waterways- people plant grass where there is water runoff to prevent soil
being carried away.