topsoil

(noun)

top layer of soil containing humus at its surface and decomposing vegetation at its base; the most fertile soil

Related Terms

  • subsoil

Examples of topsoil in the following topics:

  • Physical Properties of Soil

    • Topsoil, the top layer of soil, is usually two to three inches deep, but this depth can vary considerably.
    • For instance, river deltas, such as the Mississippi River delta, have deep layers of topsoil.
    • Topsoil is rich in organic material.
  • Making taxes pull double duty

    • Detrimental practices including topsoil depletion, non-renewable logging, and most mineral and metal extraction processes (including the mining of bauxite, chromium, coal, gold and silver) would provide additional taxation targets.
  • Farm Policy of the 20th Century

    • Persistent winds during an extended drought blew away topsoil from vast tracts of once-productive farmland.
  • The Importance of Seedless Vascular Plants

    • Ferns contribute to the environment by promoting the weathering of rock, accelerating the formation of topsoil, and slowing down erosion by spreading rhizomes in the soil.
  • Dust Bowl Migrants

    • Deep plowing of the virgin topsoil of the Great Plains had displaced the natural deep-rooted grasses that normally kept the soil in place and trapped moisture even during periods of drought and high winds.
  • The Human Toll

    • Deep plowing of the virgin topsoil of the Great Plains displaced the natural deep-rooted grasses that normally kept the soil in place and trapped moisture even during periods of drought and high winds.
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