Glossary
A
- agronomist
- - scientist who studies soil
- atmosphere
- - the layers of gas surrounding the earth
B
- bedrock
- - the layer of solid rock that underlies loose and broken material, such as soil, sand, clay, or gravel
- beneficial
- - good
C
- calcium
- - a mineral necessary for strong bones
- carbon
- - an element that is the basis of most living organisms
- carbon dioxide
- - a gas used by plants
- cement
- - a mixture of limestone and water used to make mortar, concrete, grout and other bonding construction supplies
- chemical
- - a compound or substance that has been purified or prepared, especially artificially
- clay
- - a very fine soil that when mixed with water produces a sticky material that turns hard when fired - used for dishware
- compound
- - two or more atoms joined together chemically
- concrete
- - a mixture of cement, rock, water and sand used to make stone-like material for sidewalks and such
- contaminant
- - a pollution or material that can harm life
D
- decaying
- - the process of breaking down, decomposing
- decomposing
- - to break matter down into its chemical elements
- defined borders
- - obvious edges
- displaced
- - moved from one location to another
- dissolve
- - to break up or reduce into small parts - or melt away
E
- ecosystem
- - a community of living organisms
- elements
- - natural forces of nature: wind, water, temperature, etc
- environment
- - the plants, animals and all other matter in an area
- erosion
- - soil and rock that is moved by man or nature
- evaporation
- - to break up or reduce into small parts - or melt away
F
- fungi
- - the plural of fungus - mushrooms, mold, etc
G
- garbanzo beans
- - also called chickpeas
- geologic
- - having to do with the layout of the land; mountains, lakes, rivers
- gradient
- - the strength of a material or color that changes slowly from the top to the bottom or from side to side; the colors in a rainbow are gradient
H
- hummus
- - a food eaten with chips or crackers made from ground garbanzo beans
- humus
- - top layer of soil made of decayed plants and animals
I
- impacts
- - effects
- impurities
- - pollution or matter that alters the purity of a substance
- industry
- - collection of companies that create a common product or deliver a common service
- iron
- - element known for its rusty color
L
- lumber
- - wood from trees used in construction
M
- magnesium
- - a mineral element necessary for health
- methane
- - a gas created from digestion or decaying matter
- microorganism
- - very small living organism - bacteria, virus, etc
- mineral
- - a nonliving substance found in nature
N
- natural resource
- - anything in nature that can be used
- negative charge
- - electrical property of a substance
- nonexistent
- - does not occur
- nutrient
- - part of food that provides health
O
- oxygen
- - gas in our atmosphere necessary for breathing
P
- parent material
- - material in the soil layers that is the basis for future soil
- positively charged
- - electrical property of a substance
- production
- - something made or built
- properties
- - characteristics of an object or matter - size, smell, color, etc
- pummeling
- - hitting repeatedly
R
- raw ingredients
- - the most basic materials used in creating something
S
- silica
- - also known as silicon dioxide - sand or ground quartz
- stalactite
- - deposit of calcium carbonate that hangs from the ceiling of a cave
- stalagmite
- - deposit of calcium carbonate that piles up on the floor of a cave
- subsoil
- - also called undersoil; layer made of rocks, minerals, sand, etc. - small amount of decayed matter
T
- topsoil
- - top 6 inches (approx.) of soil - contains the most nutrients
W
- weathered
- - worn or damaged by nature
