Gilgai

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/gilgai

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What are gilgai and why do they look like bumps and holes?Gilgai are little mounds and hollows that form in clay soils. The soil swells when wet and cracks when dry, making bumps and holes.
2. How do gilgai help plants and animals?The hollows hold water, giving plants and animals a water source in dry times. The mounds and hollows create different habitats so more species can live there.

Vertisols: Soils with a very high clay content that exhibit significant swelling and shrinking with changes in moisture.
Geomorphology: The scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them.
Pedology: The scientific study of soils, including their formation, classification, and properties.