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Fiveable

♻️AP Environmental Science Review

QR code for AP Environmental Science practice questions

Soil Composition

♻️AP Environmental Science
Review

Soil Composition

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examWritten by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025

Resources

Soil might seem like a basic thing, but the role it plays in the environment is significant. One of the most important things about soil is how it forms through weathering and deposition. Through the formation of soil, soil horizons begin to form. Another important aspect of soil is its characteristics, such as acidity, porosity, permeability, and water-holding capacity. These characteristics can be impacted by particles like clay, silt, and sand. The amount of these particles in a sample of soil can help us classify it through the soil texture triangle.