A

Acid: A compound that releases free hydrogen ions [H+] when released in water. Adding an
acid to water will cause the pH to drop.
Ablation till: A surface deposit of loose, permeable, somewhat stratified, sandy and stony till
(material) overlying denser till.
Actinomycetes: Microbial organisms intermediate between bacteria and fungi that form
branched structures in the soil. Important as decomposers of organic matter in aerated
soils.
Active acidity: The active hydrogen ions in the soil solution which is measured and expressed
as pH.
Active organic matter: Organic materials which decompose quickly after being added to the
soil. Active organic matter is quickly recycled to provide food for microbes and plants.
Aeration: The process by which soil air is constantly replaced by oxygen rich air from the
atmosphere.
Aerobic: Organisms which require oxygen [O2] to survive.
Aggregate: A group of soil particles that clump together to form a unit. May be very small (about
1mm) diameter to very large (about 10cm).
Aggregation: The process by which small particles come together to form a larger unit.
Alkaline: A pH value greater than 7.
Alluvium: A general term for deposits made by modern streams, river beds or floodplains. Often
a deposit of silt or silty clay material laid down during time of flood.
Anaerobic: Organisms which lived and function without oxygen [O2]. Some bacteria are
anaerobic.
Anion: A negatively charged ion.
Anomalies: Nonuniform parcels of land which occur next to meridian lines, water bodies, Indian
reservations or river lots.
Arable land: Land that supports the economical production of cultivated crops (includes classes
1-3 and occasionally class 4 agricultural land).
Aspect: The downslope direction of a hillside. Hillsides sloping to the south accumulate more
heat than those sloping to the north.
Autotroph: An organism which is able to use CO2 as its source of carbon to build body tissues.
B
Bacteria: Single celled organisms shaped like rods, spheres or spirals that are less than 1
micron (1 millionth of a meter) in length. Because of their diversity, some form of bacteria
adapt to nearly any soil condition.
Basal till: Till carried at or deposited from under the surface of a glacier.
Base: A compound that is capable of reacting with an acid to form a salt. Adding a base to
water will cause the pH to rise.
Base map: A map showing certain basic data (such as roads, township and range lines, contour
lines, lakes, rivers) to which other information may be added (such as soils, landforms).
Blanket: A layer of unconsolidated (broken up) material covering an underlying unit but still
conforming to the general underlying topography. Usually greater than 1 meter in depth.
Bulk density: The mass of dry soil per unit volume. Soil with a lot of pore space will have lower
 bulk density than compacted soils.
C
Carbohydrates: A class of energy compounds found in living organisms which are made up of
carbon chains together with hydrogen [H] and oxygen [O]. Example: sugar, starch.
Carbohydrates are a component of active organic matter.
Cation: A positively charged ion.
Cations: A positively charged ion such as sodium [Na+], calcium [Ca+] or ammonium [NH4+].
Cation exchange capacity (CEC): The capacity of a soil to adsorb and exchange cations
measured in units of electrical charge per soil weight. Usually expressed as
milliequivalents per 100 g of soil (me/100 g).
Cementation: The binding together of soil particles into stable aggregates.
Chemical extractant: A chemical solution used in a soil testing lab to leach out (dissolve or
remove) specific soil nutrients in order to measure their concentration.
Chroma: The relative purity, strength, or saturation of a color.
Clay: Mineral soil particles with a diameter <0.002 mm. Usually composed of crystalline
structures that carry large amounts of negative electrical charge on their surfaces.
Climatic subregion: Areas which are similar climatic limitations in terms of coolness and lack of
rainfall.
C:N Ratio: The ratio of carbon to nitrogen found in a given sample of organic material. Organic
matter with C:N ratios of less than 30 generally provide a well balanced diet for microbes
and will result in a surplus of plant available nitrogen when it is decomposed.
Colloid, soil: An extremely small sized soil particle in the range of 10-6 meters (1 micron) in
diameter.
Colluvium: Loose, unconsolidated deposits which accumulate at the base of steep slopes as a
result of gravity.
Colour: The condition of the soil material at the time of recording soil colour (the soil in Aspect:
place, crushed, moist, dry, etc.). Example of colour aspect include: crushed moist,
crushed dry, exped moist, expend dry, inped moist, inped dry.
Complete fertilizer: A fertilizer that contains available forms of nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium.
Complex: A map unit area that contains two or more defined soil types which are so closely
intermixed that it is impractical to separate them on a small scale map.

Consistence: The resistance of a soil aggregate to deformation or rupture when pressure is

applied.
Correction lines: These are lines drawn on maps to compensate for the narrowing in the width
of lines of longitude as they converge to the north. This allows for map subdivisions to
remain square.
Cumulose: Deposits that result from successive events such as intermittent flooding.
D
Deglaciation: The uncovering of an area from beneath glacier ice as a result of melting.
Delineation: An area on a map bounded by a continuous black line and containing map
symbols.
Discharge zone: An area where groundwater moves to the soil surface bringing with it soluble
 salts. Usually found along hillsides or hill bottoms.
Dispersion: The breaking up of soil aggregates into individual sand, silt and clay particles.
Drainage: The loss of water from a soil due to gravity. It may be referred to as the movement of
water over the soil surface or downward through the soil profile.
Dynamic equilibrium: A natural chemical process which establishes a steady relationship
between the amounts of a given cation on adsorption sites and the amounts of mobile
cations in soil solutions.
E
Effervescence: Bubbling, hissing and foaming as in carbonated water.
Eluviation: The transportation of fine soil material in suspension or in solution within the soil by
the downward or lateral movement of water.
Eolian deposits: Sediments that have been deposited by wind. They generally consist of fine
sand and coarse silt size particles.
Essential nutrient: A chemical element necessary for the normal growth and reproduction of
plants.
Erosion: The wearing away of the land surface by running water, wind, ice or other geological
agents.
Exchange complex: The zone surrounding soil colloids where adsorption and exchange of
nutrients into solutions occurs.
F
Fertilizer: A material added to the soil to provide nutrients to plants.
Fertilizer banding: Placing fertilizer in concentrated rows, usually below the soil surface.
Fertilizer broadcasting: A fertilizer application in which fertilizer is distributed uniformly over the
soil surface.
Fertilizer grade: The guaranteed minimum percentage (by weight) of plant available nitrogen,
phosphorous, and potassium in a fertilizer material.
Fine texture: The texture of soil containing large quantities of silt and clay. It usually includes all
the textural classes of clay loams (moderately fine) and clays.
Flocculation: The natural process whereby individual soil particles come together to form larger
clumps or aggregates.
Fluvial deposits: Sediments deposited by river and streams. They generally consist of gravel
and sand size particles that have been rounded by tumbling action.
Free lime: Ca or Mg carbonates present in a soil horizon that effervesce (bubble) when dilute
HCl is added.
Fungi: A huge group of single or multi celled organisms associated with decomposition of
organic matter in the soil. Mold, mildew, smut, and mushrooms are examples of fungi.
G
Glacial till: Unstratified glacial drift deposited directly by the ice and consisting of a mixture of
clay, sand, gravel and boulders.
Glaciation: A collective term for the geological processes of glaciers and the resulting effects on
the earth’s surface.
Glacier: A large mass of ice formed on land by the compaction and recrystallization of snow,
which remains from year to year. A glacier moves downslope or outward from its center
 due to stress of its own weight.
Gleying: A soil forming process that occurs under poor drainage conditions. Gleying is identified
by the presence of gray soil colour and sometimes the presence of bright red or yellow
splotches.
Granule: An irregular shaped fertilizer pellet of uniform size.
H
Hand texturing: A method of estimating the textural class of a soil by feel. There are several
tests that can be used including the dry consistence test, the moist cast test, and the
ribbon test.
Heterotroph: An organism which obtains its carbon from organic sources. Important in the
decomposition of organic matter.
Horizon: A distinct layer of soil approximately parallel to the land surface. It differs from
adjacent layers in properties such as color, structure, texture, consistence, and chemical,
biological, and mineral composition.
Humus: The stable part of the soil organic matter that remains after the majority of added
residues have decomposed, usually amorphous (no definite shape) and dark colored.
Hydrolysis: The process by which a substance such as salt is split by water molecule to form
two end products.
Hydroxyl: The negatively charged OH- ion consisting of one atom of hydrogen and one atom of
oxygen.

I
Immobilization: The removal of plant available nutrients from the soil by soil microbes. Mineral
compounds (those that do not involve carbon chains) are immobilized as the microbes
use them to construct the organic tissues needed for their growth.
Inclusion: Small areas of soils within a map unit which are different from the dominant soils but
are present in too small an amount to be delineated separately.
Infiltration: The entry if water into the soil by gravity.
Inorganic compound: Composed of matter other than plant or animal origin (mineral). A
chemical compound which does not usually contain carbon.
Ion: A water soluble molecule that carries either a positive or negative electrical charge.
Ion adsorption: The ability of soil colloids to hold water near their surfaces, temporarily
restricting their movement through the soil.
K
Key map: A reference map indicating the location of the map sheet area in relation to adjacent
map sheets.
L
Lacustrine: Sediments deposited in lakes. Lacustrine deposits are usually made up of fine silt
deposits and clay particles that settle out in lake beds but they also include coarser sand
 deposited on beaches by wave action.
Leaching: The removal of salts and fine particles from the upper portions of the soil profile by
the downward movement of soil water.
Laminated: Material composed of very thin layers which have been cemented together by
Material: natural processes. Laminated materials tend to split along the laminations when
fractured.
Legal land: The commonly used system of describing Description: land location in Western
Canada using the western grid as its basis.
Legal subdivision: Uniform divisions of a section of land comprised of 40 acres.
Lignin: Complex organic structures derive from plant cell walls which are slowly decomposed by
soil microbes. An important component of the resistant fraction of organic matter.
Limitations: Soil, climate or landscape factors that adversely affect the land’s ability to support
sustained crop production.
Loess: Material transported and deposited by wind, and consisting of predominantly silt size
particles.
M
Macrofauna: Large animals that are visible to the naked eye.
Macroflora: Large, visible plants that use chlorophyll to convert sunlight to chemical energy.

Macronutrients: An essential plant nutrient required in large amounts, usually measured by

percentage weight of plant dry matter.
Marginal land: Land that has severe limitations for the production of cultivated crops.
Limitations may restrict the range of crops that may be grown, or require that special soil
conservation practices be followed. (usually refers to class 4 agricultural land).
Media: Material used by gardeners as a soil substitute. Examples are perlite, vermiculite and
peat.
Medium texture: The texture of soil between fine-texture and coarse-textured soils. It includes
very fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, and silt.
Meridians: An imaginary set of north-south lines that coincide with lines of longitude and are
used as primary reference points for the western grid survey system.
Microfauna: Animals too small to be seen without a microscope.
Micronutrients: An essential plant nutrient required in very small amounts, usually measured in
ppm (parts per million) of dry plant matter.
Mineral: A naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal
structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form and physical properties.
Mineralization: The conversion of organic compounds (those involving carbon chains) into plant
available mineral compounds by microbial decomposition. Common mineral plant
nutrients include ammonium [NH4+], phosphate [H2PO4-], and sulfate [SO4--].
Modifying: Terms that describe the geological processes that have modified (or are process:
currently modifying) genetic (original) materials.
Mottles: Spots or blotches of different colours or shades of colour (e.g. yellowish-red / rust
spots) interspersed with the dominant colour (matrix).
Mottling: Distinct spots or blotches of different color or shades of color usually found in wet,
poorly drained soils.
Muck: Highly decomposed organic material in which the original plant parts are not
recognizable.
Munsell: A color chart used to describe soils which names specific colours according Colour:
hue, value, and chroma.
Mycorrhizae: A specific group of fungi which form a symbiotic (partnership) relationship with the
roots of many plants. The mycorrhizae provide phosphorous and other nutrients to the
plant root in return for carbohydrate they need for energy.
N
Natural fertilizer: A fertilizer derived from a living source, such as manure, compost and
legume plowdowns.
Niche: A position within an ecological system for which one particular organism is best suited.
O
Organic: Materials derived from living organisms such as peat and humus.
Organic compound: Composed of matter derived from living things. A chemical compound
which contains carbon (C).
Organic matter: Plants and animal residues at various stages of decomposition. It includes
cells and tissues of soil organisms and substances synthesised by soil organisms.
Osmosis: The movement of water through a semipermeable membrane toward a solution with
a higher concentration of salt.
Oxidation: The combination of an element or compound with oxygen.
P
Parent material: The unconsolidated (loose) and unweathered mineral or organic material from
which soils develop. It is found in the C horizon of soil profiles.
Ped: The basic natural unit of soil structure such as a prism, block or granule ( in contrast to a
clod which is formed artificially by operations such as cultivation).
Permafrost: a) Perennially frozen material underlying the solum (upper A and B horizons of the
soi)
b) A perennially frozen soil horizon.
Peat: Unconsolidated (loose) soil material consisting of partly decomposed organic matter from
mosses, sedges, shrubs, trees and other plants that grow in bogs or other wet places.
Pores: The small spaces between the solid components of a soil that are usually occupied by
water or air
Porosity: The total volume of pore space expressed as a percentage of soil volume.
Precipitation: The process whereby dissolved salts combine to form solid crystals. Usually
brought about by evaporation.
Primary mineral: A mineral that has not been altered chemically since the original rock-forming
events such as crystallization from molten lava.
Prill: A smooth round fertilizer pellet of a uniform size that resists caking in storage.
Prime land: Land that has no significant limitations for cropping (a general term used to
described class 1 agricultural land).
Profile: A vertical section of the soil through all its horizons and extending into the parent
material.
Protein: A class of organic compounds found in all living organisms. Contain a wide range of
plant nutrients including nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P], and sulphur [S]. Proteins are
readily decomposed by soil microbes.
Q
Quaternary: The most recent geological time period which began 2-3 million years ago. It
includes the Pleistocene (glacial) era and the Holocene (historical) era which began only
8,000 years ago.

R
Range lines: Imaginary north to south lines which occur every six miles as you travel east or
west.
Recharge zone: An area where groundwater is replenished due to the downward movement of
moisture from the soil surface to the water table. Usually found in upland areas.
Representative soil sample: A soil sample that accurately reflects the average conditions of
the field that was sampled.
Reserve Acidity: The reserve of hydrogen and aluminum ions held by soil particles. These
reserve ions help to maintain a constant pH in the soil solution by replenishing ions that
are lost or neutralized. Aluminum ions released from the surfaces of soil particles react
with the soil H2O then generate more hydrogen ions.
Resistant organic matter: Organic compounds which are difficult for microbes to decompose
including fats, waxes, and lignins which make up a large portion of the long term soil
humus.
Rhizobium: A group of N-fixing bacteria which form symbiotic relationships with the roots of
legume plants. Rhizobium convert atmospheric N2 to NH3, which is then available to the
plant. In return, the plant root hosts the bacteria in specialized root cells called nodules
where they receive carbohydrates.
Rocks: A naturally formed aggregate of two or more minerals.
S
Saline soil: A soil that contains enough soluble salts to interfere with the growth or most crops.
Salt: A chemical compound made of a positive ion (cation) and a negative ion (anion) that is at
least slightly soluble in water.
Sampling unit: A fairly uniform area of a field that is sampled and tested as a separate unit
from any other areas.
Sand dunes: Wind-built ridges and hills of sand formed in the same manner as snow drifts. An
obstruction (such as a bush or fence) causes and eddy where the wind velocity lessens
and the sand is deposited. Once begun, the dunes themselves offer further resistance
and grow to form various shapes.
Secondary mineral: A mineral resulting from the decomposition of a primary mineral or from
the combination of products from the decomposition of primary minerals.
Section: An area 1 mile x 1 mile comprised of 640 acres.
Sedimentary bedrock: Layered bedrock formed by the compression of ancient minerals that
 accumulated at the bottom of great inland seas and lakes (e.g. sandstone, shale,
limestone).
Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR): The ratio of sodium ions to calcium and magnesium ions in
the soil.
Solem: The A and B horizons of a soil profile in which the most soil development has occurred.
The most “active” portion of the soil profile.
Soil buffer compounds: Soil components such as clay and humus which enable the soil to
resist a change in pH when acidic or alkaline materials are added.
Soil capability: The relative ability of a soil to produce a crop.
Soil capability classes: A grouping of soils into one of seven classes on the basis of soil
survey information. The classes are assigned to land according to the intensity of their
limitation for agricultural production. Each soil class includes many kinds of soil with
diverse management requirements.
Soil capability subclasses: Subdivisions of soil capability classes based on the kinds of
limitations what affect field crop production.
Soil colloid: Clay or humus with very small particle size (usually a diameter of less than 0.001
mm) and a very large surface area per unit of mass.
Soil formation: The development of soil from parent material through the influence of climate,
living organisms, topography and time.
Soil map: A map showing the distribution of soil types together with prominent physical and
cultural features of the earth’s surface.
Soil quality factors: Chemical or physical properties of the soil which have an impact on crop
growth but do not directly affect nutrition.
Soil solution: The liquid component of a soil consisting of water and all the materials dissolved
in the water.
Soil reaction: A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a soil expressed as a pH value.
Soil test calibration: Converting ppm (parts per million) values of nutrients extracted by a soil
test into fertilizer recommendations based on field research.
Soil map legend: A list of all soil types found in the map sheet area with a brief description of
soil classification, soil properties and topography.
Soil map symbols: A system of symbols which abbreviates the soils information given for each
map unit. Each symbol is composed of a series of letters and numerals.
Soil map units: Specific combination of soil series and landform characteristics that can be
separately delineated on a soils map and labelled with a map symbol.
Soil testing: A detailed process of field sampling, laboratory analysis and interpretation of
results that provides information for soil management decision-making.
Soil texture: The ‘feel’ of a soil which is determined by the relative proportion of sands, silt and
clay in a soil sample.
Soil salinity: A measure of the amount of salts dissolved in a soil solution. Usually expressed in
terms of electrical conductivity of the solution which is a direct function of salt content.
Soil separates: The individual mineral particles, less than 2.0 mm in diameter which make up
the soil. The main soil separates are sand, silt and clay.
Soil series: The basic unit of soil classification consisting of soils that are essentially alike in all
major profile characteristics except the texture of the surface.
Soil survey: A general term for the systematic examination of soils that are essentially alike in
all major profile characteristics except the texture of the surface.
Solubility: The extent to which a solid salt compound will separate into positive and negative
ions and thereby dissolve in water.
Solum: The liquid phase of the soil composed of water and dissolved ions.
Sorted material: Surface deposits that are composed of selected particle sizes such as sand,
silt, or clay. They are formed by the sorting action of wind or water processes to form
eolian materials, fluvial sands and gravels, and lacustrine clays.
Stratified [stratification]: The arrangement of sediments in layers or strata that are marked by
a change material: in colour, texture, or composition.
Structure: The organization of soil particles or aggregates (peds). Examples of structural types
include granular, prismatic, platy, and columnar. Soil structures are classified on the
basis of size, shape and degree of distinctness.
Surface form: The assemblage and pattern of slopes, hollows, gullies, ridges, etc. which are
visible at the earth’s surface.
Surficial geological deposits: A term used to describe the materials lying in or on the earth’s
surface, such as soil or bedrock made up of various assortments of rock material from
boulders to fine clay.
Symbiosis: The living together of two dissimilar organisms, each of which depends for its
existence on the other, such as the fungus and algae composing lichens.
Synthetic fertilizer: Fertilizers produced by an industrial process, usually resulting in a material
with high nutrient concentrations.
T
Texture: The relative proportions of sand, silt and clay found in a given soil.
Textural triangle: A diagram which illustrates the soil textural classes. It is a triangle shape
indicating the clay percentage on the vertical axis and sand percentage on the horizontal
axi.
Topography: The surface features of a district or region, such as the relief and contours of the
land.
Township: A 6 mile by 6 mile area comprised of 36 sections of land and bounded by township
lines on the north and south and range lines on the east and west.
Township line: An imaginary east-west line that occurs every six miles north-south.
U
Unconsolidated material: Soil or sediment that is loosely aggregated and whose particles are
not cemented together, occurring either at the surface of the earth or at a depth.
V
Value: The relative brightness of a colour between the extremes of white or black. Value could
be compared to the brightness function on a colored television.
Varves: Distinct bands representing the alternate annual deposition of silts and clays found in
lakebed deposits.
Veneer: Unconsolidated materials too thin to mask the minor irregularities of the underlying
surface. Veneer can range in thickness from 10 cm to 1 m (e.g. shallow lacustrine
 deposits overlying glacial till).
W
Water table: The groundwater surface or elevation. The upper surface of a completely
unsaturated zone.
Weathering: The physical and chemical disintegration and alteration of rocks and minerals at or
near the earth’s surface by agents such as wind, water, temperature change and
chemical reactions.