Soil Basics

3. Which organism Kingdom includes single-celled organisms more complex than single-celled bacteria like algae and slime molds.
5. Which soil component(s) promotes soil weathering (break-down)?
10. Besides water, which soil component facilitates nutrient release from storage?
11. What key soil element helps transfer energy from sunlight to plants, stimulates early root and plant growth, and hastens maturity?
12. What kind of organism feeds upon other organisms for its food.
13. What key soil element increases vigor and disease resistance of plants, helps form and move starches, sugars and oils in plants, and can improve fruit quality?
15. Which soil component(s) serve as a direct source of nutrients?
17. What key soil element is a key component of chlorophyll, the green coloring material of plants, and is vital for photosynthesis?
19. Which organism Kingdom includes all flowering plants, mosses and ferns; they are multi-celled, complex organisms which are autotrophic.
20. What key soil element is essential for root health, growth of new roots and root hairs, and the development of leaves?
21. What key soil element is a constituent of amino acids in plant proteins and is involved in energy-producing processes in plants and is also responsible for many flavor and odor compounds in plants such as the aroma of onions and cabbage?

1. What is term used for to refer to the plants in the soil
2. Which soil component(s), in addition to organic matter, serves to store nutrients?
4. What kind of organism creates/produces its own food.
6. Which organism Kingdom includes single-celled bacterial organisms like Streptococci?
7. What key soil element is involved in plant growth, is found in all plant cells, in plant proteins and hormones, and in chlorophyll?
8. What is the name for the conversion of the sun's energy to food for the plant.
9. Which organism Kingdom includes multi-celled organisms which do not produce their own food like mushrooms and yeasts?
14. What is term used for to refer to the animals in the soil.
16. What is the term used to refer to the animals and plants in the soil.
18. Which organism Kingdom includes complex, multi-celled heterotrophic organisms; contains the highest number of species of all the kingdoms.
20. What element does all organic matter contain?