Soil science

Soil science

That science dealing with soils as a natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils per se; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils.

Industry: Earth science

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Soil science

Divide

Earth science; Soil science

The line of separation, or the summit area, or narrow tract of higher ground that constitutes the watershed boundary between two adjacent drainage basins; it divides the surface waters that flow ...

Sticky point

Earth science; Soil science

(i) A condition of consistency at which the soil barely fails to stick to a foreign object. (ii) Specifically and numerically, the water mass content of a well-mixed kneaded soil that barely fails ...

Associative symbiosis

Earth science; Soil science

A close but relatively casual interaction between two dissimilar organisms or biological systems. The association may be mutually beneficial but is not required to accomplish specific functions.

Autochthonous flora

Earth science; Soil science

(i) That portion of the micro flora presumed to subsist on the more resistant soil organic matter and little affected by the addition of fresh organic materials. (ii) Microorganisms indigenous to a ...

Oligotrophs

Earth science; Soil science

Chemical potential

Earth science; Soil science

(i) The rate of change of Gibbs free energy, G, with respect to the number of moles of one component in a mixed chemical system at fixed temperature, pressure and number of moles of other components. ...

Natural drainage class

Earth science; Soil science

A group of soils defined as having a specific range in relative wetness under natural conditions as it pertains to wetness due to a water table under conditions similar to those under which the soil ...