Soil Vocabulary

Natural Resource Materials removed from the Earth and used by people

Nonrenewable Resource Earth materials that cannot be replaced by nature in one’s lifetime (examples: soil, oil, coal, gas, metals, and minerals.

Renewable Resource Earth materials that can be replaced by nature in one’s lifetime (examples: plants and animals)

Inexhaustible Resource Nonrenewable resources that are able to be reused over and over (examples: water, air, and soil)

Soil Loose material at the Earth’s surface that is capable of supporting plant and animal life

Living or the remains of living plants and animals found in the soil Organic Matter Living or the remains of living plants and animals found in the soil

Decomposed plant and animal remains that help make soil fertile Humus Decomposed plant and animal remains that help make soil fertile

Weathered rock broken into very small pieces over long periods of time Mineral Matter Weathered rock broken into very small pieces over long periods of time

Soil Composition Made up of varying amounts of mineral matter, organic matter or humus, water, and air.