| A | B |
|---|
| soil conservation | the management of soil to prevent its destruction |
| weathering | the process that breaks down rocks and other substances at Earth's surface |
| ice wedging | a process that splits rock when water seeps into cracks, then freezes and expands |
| topsoil | also called the A horizon |
| Dust Bowl | a time of drought and topsoil loss that occured in the Great Plains |
| conservation plowing | a soil conservation method that leaves the dead stalks from the previous year's crop |
| erosion | the process by which wind, water, ice or gravity moves weathered material |
| oxidation | a chemical change in which a substance combined with oxygen forms rust |
| soil horizon | a layer of soil that differs in color and texture from the layers above or below it |
| sod | the thick mass of tough roots that keeps soil in place |
| abrasion | the grinding away of rock by other rock particles carried by water, ice, wind, or gravity |
| decomposers | soil organisms that break down the remains of organisms and digest the remains |
| subsoil | also called the B horizon |
| permeable | a material that is full of tiny, connected air spaces that allow water to seep through |
| bedrock | solid layer of rock beneath the soil |
| soil | loose, weathered material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow |
| contour plowing | plowing fields along the curves of a slope to prevent soil loss |
