Name_____________________________________________________________ Period _____ Date_______

Learning target: I can explain the properties of soil and how outside elements effect the process of formation.
Chapter 10 Soil Formation read pages 288-293

Section: From Bedrock to Soil

THE SOURCE OF SOIL 288-290
Match the correct description with the correct term. Write the letter in the space provided.

______1.
soil that is blown or washed away from its parent rock
______2.
the layer of rock beneath the soil
______3.
a loose mixture of small mineral fragments, organic material, water,
and air that can support the growth of vegetation
______4.
the rock formation that is the source of mineral fragments in the soil
______5.
soil that remains above its parent rock
What Are the Different Layers in Soil? Most soil forms
in layers. The layers are horizontal, so soil scientists call them
horizons.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

soil
transported soil
residual soil
parent rock
bedrock

Identify Which three soil horizons probably

contain the most nutrients?
In which horizon of a soil profile does leaching normally
occur? Explain how it works?

Soil and climate page 291

Match the correct description with the correct term. Write the letter in the space provided.

a. desert b.temperate forest and grassland c. tropical rain forest

d. arctic areas

______6.climate with low temperatures and slow soil formation, resulting in thin soil that cannot support
many plants
______7. climate with heavy rain that leaches precious nutrients from the topsoil
_______8.climate with enough rain to cause a high level of chemical weathering, but not so much that the
nutrients are leached out of the soil
_____9.climate with less than 25 cm of rain per year and a low ability to support plant and animal life
10. Lush plant growth takes large amounts of nutrients from the soil in which climate? _______________
11. When dead plants decay quickly in warm soil, they produce rich ______________________.
12. Tropical soils are generally poor and thin due to .______________________
13. Toxic levels of salt are sometimes found in the soil in which climat _____________________________
14. What happens to soil because of frequent changes in temperature in temperate climates? ______________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
15. The most productive soil in the world can be found in which climate? ____________________________
16.
The removal from soil of substances that can be dissolved in water is called _____________________
Original content Copyright by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.