Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Topsoil is composed of mineral particles and organic matter and usually extends to a depth of 5-10 inches (13–25 cm). Together these make a substrate capable of holding water and air which encourages biological activity. There are generally a high concentration of roots in topsoil since this is where plants obtain most of their vital nutrients.
The soil suborders within an order are differentiated on the basis of soil properties and horizons which depend on soil moisture and temperature. Forty-seven suborders are recognized in the United States. [6] The soil great group category is a subdivision of a suborder in which the kind and sequence of soil horizons distinguish one soil from ...
The angiosperms ("vessel seeds") are the only group to fully enclose the seed, in a carpel. [citation needed] Fully enclosed seeds opened up a new pathway for plants to follow: that of seed dormancy. The embryo, completely isolated from the external atmosphere and hence protected from desiccation, could survive some years of drought before ...
The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) is a soil classification system used in engineering and geology to describe the texture and grain size of a soil. The classification system can be applied to most unconsolidated materials, and is represented by a two-letter symbol. Each letter is described below (with the exception of Pt): If the ...
A state soil is a soil that has special significance to a particular state. Each state in the United States has selected a state soil, twenty of which have been legislatively established. These official state soils share the same level of distinction as official state flowers and birds. Also, representative soils have been selected for Puerto ...
Soil fertility refers to the ability of soil to sustain agricultural plant growth, i.e. to provide plant habitat and result in sustained and consistent yields of high quality. [3] It also refers to the soil's ability to supply plant/crop nutrients in the right quantities and qualities over a sustained period of time.
Soil temperature depends on the ratio of the energy absorbed to that lost. [68] Soil has a mean annual temperature from -10 to 26 °C according to biomes. [69] Soil temperature regulates seed germination, [70] breaking of seed dormancy, [71] [72] plant and root growth [73] and the availability of nutrients. [74]
In the United States, over 19,000 soil series have been identified. [1] The percentages of land area (in the US and associated territories, etc.) occupied by soils of the twelve orders have been estimated [1] as: Alfisols and Inceptisols occur widely in the US, but the circumstances of their occurrence would be difficult to characterize briefly.