Balls

Front 1

Entisols

Back 1

soils of (recent) origin.
Soils developed in unconsolidated parent material with no horizons except an A
All soils that do not fit into one of the other 11 orders are Entisols

Front 2

Inceptisols

Back 2

(beginning of their life) soils that exhibit minimal horizon development. They
are more developed than Entisols, but still lack the features that are
characteristic of other soil orders.

Front 3

Vertisols

Back 3

(turn) clay-rich soils that shrink and swell with changes in moisture content.

Front 4

Gelisols

Back 4

(freezing) soils of very cold climates that contain permafrost within 2 meters of the surface. The lack of significant microbial activity in these soils leads to an accumulation of organic matter over time.

Front 5

Histosols

Back 5

(living tissue) soils that are composed mainly of organic materials. They contain at least 20-30% organic matter.

Front 6

Spodosols

Back 6

(wood ash) acid soils characterized by a subsurface accumulation of humus and Al & Fe oxides. Spodosols often occur under coniferous forest in cool, moist climates.

Front 7

Andisols

Back 7

(andesite) soils that have formed in volcanic ash or other volcanic ejecta.

Front 8

Oxisols

Back 8

(oxygen-containing compounds) very highly weathered soils that are found primarily in the tropical regions of the world. These soils contain few available cations and are often rich in Fe and Al oxide minerals

Front 9

Aridisols

Back 9

(dry) CaCO3-containing soils of arid regions that exhibit at least some subsurface horizon development. They are characterized by being dry most of the year. Aridisols contain subsurface horizons in which clays, calcium carbonate, silica, salts, and/or gypsum have accumulated.

Front 10

Ultisols

Back 10

(last) strongly leached, acid forest soils with relatively low native fertility. They are found in humid temperate and tropical areas of the world, typically on older, stable landscapes.

Front 11

Mollisols

Back 11

(soft soils) soils of grassland ecosystems. They are characterized by a thick, dark surface horizon.

Front 12

Alfisols

Back 12

(aluminum and iron) moderately leached forest soils that have relatively high native fertility. These soils are well developed and contain a subsurface horizon in which clays have accumulated.