Know Soil, Know Life Terms

Material moved by glaciers and subsequently sorted and deposited by streams flowing from the melting ice. The deposits are stratified and may occur in the form of outwash plains, deltas, kames, eskers, and kame terraces.

Developed under conditions of poor drainage resulting in reduction of iron and other elements and in gray colors and mottles. (Not used in current U.S. system of soil taxonomy; also, a soil condition resulting from prolonged soil saturation, which is manifested by the presence of bluish or greenish colors through the soil mass or in mottles (spots or streaks) among the colors. Gleying occurs under reducing conditions, by which iron is reduced predominantly to the ferrous state.

A natural or constructed waterway, usually broad and shallow, covered with grasses, used to conduct surface water from or through cropland.

Water that moves into, through, or out of the soil under the influence of gravity.

A roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium (soil), planted over a waterproof membrane.

The zone where all of the pores in the soil are filled with water and water will flow due to gravity. The water table refers to the top of this zone.

A channel resulting from erosion and caused by the concentrated but intermittent flow of water usually during and immediately following heavy rains. Deep enough to interfere with, and not to be obliterated by, normal tillage operations.

Specialized cells of cyanobacteria where biological nitrogen fixation occurs.

Level of nutrient deficiency that reduces plant yield without observable visual deficiency symptoms.

Organic soils—very wet areas, parts of FL, MN, AK, MI, ME, NC.

A layer of soil or soil material approximately parallel to the land surface and differing from adjacent genetically related layers in physical, chemical, and biological properties or characteristics, such as color, structure, texture, consistency, kinds and number of organisms present, degree of acidity or alkalinity, etc.

Major soil horizons designated by a capital letter. Each master horizon has a single dominant characteristic i.e. O horizon is dominated by organic matter, C horizon is parent material.

Horizons that have a specific property that allows them to be further subdivided.

A measure of the chromatic composition of light that reaches the eye; one of the three variables of color. See also Munsell color system, chroma, and value, color.

Dark, organic fraction of soil that has been well decomposed and is relatively stable.