Title: Identify the components and structure of a soil profile.
Course: Biological Applications in Agriculture (18308-I) > Section: Understanding Principles of Water and Soil Quality

Identification should include

- parent material
- the soil particles (organic and inorganic components)
  - sand
  - silt
  - clay
  - organic matter
- soil triangle
- air and water space
- organisms
- soil horizons.

Teacher Resources:

- Soil Judging in Virginia, Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Virginia’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Process/Skill Questions:

- How do soil horizons affect plant growth?
- How does the parent material affect the makeup of soil?
- How can examination of the soil profile give insight into soil fertility?
- What is the regolith on Earth; what is its composition; and how is it formed?
- How can soil particle makeup be determined in a soil sample?
- What effect does air and water space have on the agricultural productivity of a soil?
- How can organisms affect soil quality?
- How does organic matter affect the nutrient- and water-holding capacity of soil?
- What does color indicate about soil?