Soil Characteristics

If a soil particle is big, meaning it has a larger pore space, how will the water flow?

• Fast
• Slow

Which of the following is NOT one of the three types of soil?

• clay
• sand
• silt
• mud

_______ is the type of soil used most often with plants. It is a mixture of clay, sand, and silt.

• loam
• humus
• mud
• dirt

Are there minerals in soil?

• Yes
• No

Humus is.....

• the dead parts of plants and animals in soil.
• A food we eat with pretzels.
• The tiny particles inside of soil
• The roots that come off of a plant and live in soil.

Ellen grabs a topsoil sample in her hand. She rolls it into a ball. The soil feels gritty and the ball falls apart. What part of the topsoil most likely made the topsoil feel gritty?

• clay
• sand
• silt
• humus

When there are not enough plants to hold topsoil in place, water and  _______ carry the topsoil away, leaving the subsoil exposed

• sunlight
• birds
• magnetic fields
• wind

You dig a small hole in the soil and the next day it rains. The hole fills with water, but does not empty even after several days of dry weather. What is the soil mostly made of?

• clay
• sand
• humus
• silt

The texture of soil depends mainly on

• the types of plants that grow in the soil.
• the size of the particles in the soil.
• the color of the soil.
• the number of worms in the soil.

Many plants cannot grow in sandy soil. Why is this true?

• Sandy soil does not hold enough water.
• Oxygen cannot pass through sandy soil.
• Roots cannot easily push through clay soil.
• Sandy soil has too many nutrients.