Nivedita Bose and Madhur Gupta Solutions for Chapter: Soil, Exercise 2: Worksheet FA

Some words in the passage below are missing. As you read the passage, fill in the correct words.

Soil is the loose top layer of the Earth's surface. Plants depend on soil. It holds them up. It provides them with food and water. Soil is made of _____ (fungi, humus, particles). These very small pieces mostly come from rocks broken down by weathering. Other soil particles come from the rotting remains of plants and animals. The part of the soil that comes from living things is called _____ (loam, organic matter, texture).
Many small organisms live in the soil. They include worms, bacteria, and fungi. _____ (fungi, humus, particles) are like plants, but they aren't green. And they have no leaves, flowers, or roots. The organisms feed on dead plants and animals. They cause them to _____ (decay, particles, loam), or breakdown. The decayed plant and animal matter is called _____ (fungi, humus, loam). Humus makes the soil dark. It provides nutrients plants need to grow.
Soil develops in layers. The top layer consists mostly of humus. It is called _____ (bedrock, topsoil, subsoil). The next layer down is called _____ (bedrock, topsoil, subsoil). The subsoil contains more rock particles than topsoil and less humus. It is not as good for growing plants. The layer below the subsoil has many pieces of rocks. The pieces get bigger when they are deeper in the ground. Most plants cannot grow in this rocky layer. The soil layers all rest on solid rock. It is called _____ (bedrock, topsoil, subsoil). The pieces of rock in the soil come from bedrock.

Label the diagram given below and answer the following questions:

a) The layer with less amount of humus but more of minerals_____.
b) The layer which is hard and difficult to dig with a spade:_____.
c) The most fertile and porous layer _____.
d) The layer which is made up of lumps and crevices _____

What effect can soil have on health if eaten or inhaled?

The major factors that affect soil development are
 

Soil is constantly formed by weathering of rocks. Why are we then so concerned about soil erosion?

What kind of soil is best for making toys and why?

Geology is the science of Earth. Find out more about this branch of science. Find what geologists study and what kind of work they do. Also find how geology helps in the study of soil.  

Soil is used to make pottery. Find out which states in India are known for pottery. Find which types of soil is used in pottery and what is the process.