Title: Describe the soil-formation process and components of soil.
Course: Agricultural Production Technology (18301-I) > Section: Using Soil Science in Agricultural Production

Description should include

- defining soil
- discussing the importance of soil
- explaining soil-forming factors (e.g., physical weathering, chemical weathering, biological weathering, parent material, climate, organisms, topography, time)
- exploring soil origins (e.g., alluvial deposits, colluvial deposits, eolian deposits, marine deposits, lake deposits, volcanic deposits, Great Plains material, glacial drift, organic deposits)
- explaining related terms and concepts (e.g., micronutrients, macronutrients, minerals, sand, silt, clay, organic matter, pore space, bedrock, humus, topsoil, weathering, soil profile, soil horizons, subsoil).

Process/Skill Questions:

- What is pedology?
- What are the five soil-formation factors and their effects on soil formation?
- What could be considered the sixth soil-formation factor?
- How is the material content of soil determined?
- What natural processes create soil?
- How does the composition of soil affect its fertility?
- How is soil formation influenced by organisms such as plants, micro-organisms (bacteria and fungi), burrowing insects, animals, and humans?
- What is a loam?