| A | B |
|---|
| Acre | A unit for measuring land |
| Bacteria | Microscopic organisms that live on water and land |
| Bedrock | A more or less solid layer of rock found on the surface or below the soil |
| Complex, Soil | A map unit of multiple soils intricatly patterned or in a small area which is impractal to sepratly map with the set scale |
| Contour Stripcropping | Growing crops in strips that follow the contour |
| Drainage Class | Refers to the frequency and duration of periods of saturation during soil formation |
| Eluviation | Movement of materials in true solution of colloidal suspension from one place to another within the soil |
| Evaporation | Changing of a liquid to a gas |
| Fungi | A group of non-green plants, such as molds, and mushrooms, that live on dead or dying organic matter |
| Humus | Highly decomposed plant and animal residue that is a part of the soil |
| Hydrologic Cycle | The cycle of water moving from the atmosphere to the Earth and back again |
| Illuviation | The movement of soil from one horizon to another in the soil profile |
| Leaching | The removal of soluble minerals from soil by downward movement of water |
| Mineral | A naturally occuring inorganic substance with definite chemical and physical properties and crystal structre |
| Mottling, Soil | Irregular spotting of different colors that vary in number and size |
| Munsell, Notaation | A designation of color by degrees of three variables |
| Nematodes | Microscopic, elongated worms that live on other organisms in the soil |
| Nutrient | Substance that supplies nourishment for an organism to live |
| Nutrient Exchange | The process by which plant roots exchange an acid for nutrients from the soil |
| Organic Matter | Plant and animal material in various stages of decomposition that may be part of the soil |
| Parent Material | The earthy materials both mineral and organic, from which soil is formed |
| Percolation | The downward movement of water in soil |
| Permeability | The quality of soil that allows air or water to move through it |
| pH Value | A numerical designation of acidity and alkalinity in soil |
| Pore Space | The area of soil through which water and air move |
| Precipitation | Rain, snow, and other forms of water which fall to earth |
| Reaction, Soil | A measure of acidity or alkalinity of a soil |
| Regolith | The unconsolidated mantle of weathered rock and soil material on the earth's surface |
| Rock Fragments | Fragments having a diameter of 2 millimeters or more |
| Root Zone | The part of soil that can be penetrated by plant roots |
| Runoff | Water that flows off land into streams and other waterways |
| Sand | Individual rock or mineral fragments from .05 millimeters to 2.0 millimeters in diameter |
| Silt | Mineral particles that range from .002-.05 millimeters in diameter |
| Soil | A naturally occuring mixture of minerals, organic matter, water and air |
| Soil Color | The color of a sample of soil |
| Soil Horizon | A layer of soil that is nearly parallel to the land surface and is different from layers above and below |
| Soil Mineral | Portion of soil that is inorganic and neither air nor water |
| Soil Survey | The identification, classification, mapping interpretation and explenation of the soil |
| Soil Texture | The relative amounts of sand, silt and clay in a given sample |
| Subsoil | The B horizon; roughly the part of the solum below plow depth |
| Substratum | The part of the soil below solum |
| Subsurface Layer | Any surface soil horizon below the surface layer ( A, E, AB, or EB) |
| Surface Layer | The soil ordinarily moved in tillage, or its equivalent in uncultivated soil, ranging in depth from 4-10 inches |
| Top Soil | The upper part of the soil, also most favorable for pant growth |
| Zone of Accumulation | The layer in a soil into which soluable compounds are moved and deposited by water |
| Zone of Decomposition | Surface layers in a soil in which organic matter decays |
| Zone of Leaching | The layer in a soil from which soluble nutrients are removed by water |
