Soil and Land Glossary

Soil Profile Attribute Data Environment (SPADE)

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Commonly Used Terms in Soil and Land Evaluation

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

F

fabric — The appearance of the soil material using a x10 hand lens. Differences in the presence or absence of peds, the lustre, or lack thereof, ped surfaces, and the size and arrangement of pores in the soil mass are noted. Descriptive terms used are:

earthy fabric — The soil material is cohesive and contains pores but few, if any, peds;

sandy fabric — The soil material consists of closely packed sand grains which are weakly cohesive with few if any peds;

rough-ped fabric — Peds are evident. Characteristically, more than 50% of the peds are matt or rough-faced;

smooth-ped fabric — Peds are evident. Characteristically, more than 50% of the peds are glossy or smooth-faced.


facies — The appearance or aspect of any rock; the sum total of its characteristics. (stratigraphic facies — The sum of the rock and fossil features of a sedimentary rock).

fan — A low cone of alluvial materials. The central point lies at the mouth of a gully or ravine and the material is spread out onto the adjoining plain.

faunal casts — Soil matter reworked by passing through the digestive tracts of soil animals. felspar or feldspar—Aluminosilicates of potassium, sodium and calcium, and characterised by two cleavages at nearly right angles. They are among the most important constituents of igneous rock).

ferric horizon — One which contains more than 20% of ferruginous nodules or concretions which are mostly uncemented, and has a minimum thickness of 0.1m.

ferromanganiferous — Consisting of iron and manganese.

Ferrosols — ASC Soil Order classification — Soils with B2 horizons in which the major part has a free iron oxide content greater than 5% Fe in the fine earth fraction (<2 mm). Soils with a B2horizon in which at least 0.3 m has vertic properties are excluded.

ferruginous cementation — The bonding of soil particles into a hard mass by concentration of iron around a nucleus.

fibric — Fibrous organic material.

floc condition — Refers to the general flocculent or aggregated appearance of the soil mass, especially when viewed under a hand lens of about x10.

forest — Vegetation community consisting of trees to 30 m tall generally with an understorey of smaller trees, shrubs, grasses and herbs. Open-forest has a 30 - 70% canopy cover, while closed-forest has a canopy cover of >70%. Tall forests are forests in which the upper stratum height exceeds 30 m.

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CopyrightLast Modified 21/11/2006
© NSW Department of Natural Resources