Soil Formation and Composition
http://www.soilsurvey.org/tutorial/page1.asp
What is Soil?
1. Give a definition of soil.
2. What are the main constituents, with their percentage by volume, of soil?
3. What is a pedon?
4. Describe how soil is formed.
5. Describe several ways in which soil is important in the hydrologic, carbon, and nutrient cycle.
6. List and describe the five functions of soil.
Soil Horizons
7. List and describe the soil horizons. Sketch a picture to help you explain.
Soil Formation
8. What are the five main soil-forming factors?
9. Briefly describe how each of these factors contributes to soil formation.
10. Based on the Organic Material and Climate figure, describe the organic content you would expect to
find in Florida soils, and explain why you would expect to find this content.
Soil Color
11. In what ways is soil color important?
12. How is soil color determined?
Soil Texture
13. Why is texture considered the single most important soil characteristic?
14. List and describe the three separates found in soil.