Soil Vocabulary

3. process of converting light energy to chemical energy and storing it in the bonds of sugar
5. long term pattern of weather in a particular area
6. groups of soil particles which bind to each other more strongly than adjacent particles
8. process of eroding by wind, water, or other natuarl agents
9. movement of water through soil
10. quantity and availability of soluble salts in soil
11. process by which organisms oxidize sugars and derive energy in the form of ATP from the molecular bonds which are broken
12. rate at which water and air move into and through the soil is affected by the amount, size and arrangement of soil pores

1. mechanical or chemical breaking down of rocks
2. process by which water is absorbed into the soil from the ground surface
4. quality of soil and its ability to sustain plant life and provide adequate nutrients
7. void spaces in soil, known as pores, which can be filled with air or water
10. measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a soil