1. Science Vocabulary 3 Week 2

2. conservation
a method to maintain the fertility of the soil by protecting the soil from erosion and nutrient loss.

3. erosion
the process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transport soil and sediment from one location to another.

4. ph
measure of how acidic or basic a solution or soil is; the scale ranges from 0 to 14; solution with pH of 7 is neutral; above 7, basic, and below 7, acidic.

5. sustainable
Using products of an environment in a way that does not permanently destroy them so that people in the future can also use them.

6. parent rock
a rock formation that is the source of soil

7. rock cycle
the series of processes in which a rock forms, changes from one type to another, is destroyed, and forms again by geological processes.

8. soil
a loose mixture of rock fragments, organic material, water and air that can support the growth of vegetation

9. soil texture
the soil quality that is based on the proportions of soil particles.

10. weathering
The process in which rocks are broken down into smaller pieces by ice, water, the wind, changes in temperature, plants, animals, or by chemicals.

11. fertility
The property of producing abundantly and sustaining growth.

12. Igneous rock
is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

13. Sedimentary rock
are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water.

14. Metamorphic rock
is a type of rock which has been changed by extreme heat and pressure.

15. mineral
a naturally formed, inorganic solid that has a definite crystalline structure.

16. lithosphere
the seismic active region of earth, including the crust and upper mantle; this layer of the earth is approximately 62 miles thick

17. Soil quality
the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation.

18. stewardship
responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices.

19. pedosphere
is the outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of soil and subject to soil formation processes.

20. Soil structure
the arrangement of soil particles.