SOIL

What are the three components of soil?

• insects, sand, topsoil
• clay, sand, humus
• topsoil, subsoil, bedrock
• earthworms, sand, silt

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

• topsoil
• undersoil
• subsoil
• bedrock

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

Which of the following is the largest particle in soil?

• sand
• silt
• humus
• clay

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.

Which type of soil can hold the greatest amount of water?

• sand
• silt
• clay
• loam

Water gets into the cracks of rock and freezes, causing the rock to break.  What is this an example of?

• erosion
• weathering

Which layer of soil is on the bottom?

• topsoil
• subsoil
• bedrock
• bottomsoil