Soil Vocabulary

The layer of large rocks below the soil

• loam

• bedrock

• humus

• topsoil

Material found on the surface of the earth consisting of a mixture of rock, sand, clay, dead plants, and animal remains.

• clay

• subsoil

• soil

• nutrients

Soil made up of very small broken pieces of rock.

• silt

• clay

• loam

• humus

Soil that is a mixture of sand, silt, and clay.

• silt

• clay

• humus

• loam

The top layer of soil made up of broken down pieces of dead plants and animals.

• humus

• loam

• silt

• clay

The layer under humus that provides support and nutrients to plants.

• loam

• subsoil

• topsoil

• humus

The middle layer of soil which is a combination of soil and rocks.

• topsoil

• humus

• clay

• subsoil

Soil with the smallest particles.

• clay

• silt

• loam

• sand

Materials that plants and animals need to grow.

• humus

• bedrock

• nutrients

• subsoil

Soil with the largest particles.

• loam

• clay

• silt

• sand