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 Muscovite – Muscovite is a light brown form of mica.
Nutrient
Any element or compound found in a soil which is essential for healthy plant growth. Humus is naturally rich in nutrients. Fertilisers are applied to soils to provide extra amounts of nutrients.
Nutrient
or saturated. If waterlogging continues for some time, the colour of the soil will change to grey and the soil will be gleyed.
Mor
A thin, dark layer of humus,
less decomposed than moder,
that forms on the surface of
very acid soils. So few soil creatures can live in this cold, acid environment that it rots very slowly. Very little of it gets incorporated into the topsoil. Acid water drains from, and leaches minerals from, the topsoil. Mor humus is commonly found as the upper layer on podzol soils.
Mountain soil
Soils that form under conditions of cold weather at high altitudes.
The main weathering process in these environments is frost shattering, which is why mountain soils contain large amounts of shattered rock. Cool conditions do not favour chemical weathering and so few clay particles are produced. This makes soil development poor and mountain soils do not have soil horizons.
Plants growing in mountain soils have to adapt to this environment, as do plants in a desert – by growing deep taproots, woody stems and small leaves, and by having the ability to grow quickly when the conditions are right.
Muck
A North American term for peat soils. They are saturated with water for many months of the year. They are found particularly on flat, poorly drained uplands and places in northerly latitudes. The main plants growing in these areas are water-tolerant firs, together with sedges, rushes and mosses. Their remains build up on the surface
as muck.
Mudstone
A fine-grained, massive rock formed by the compaction of mud. Similar to shale but often somewhat softer.
Mulch
A thick layer of manure, or
leaves, or other kind of plant matter that is laid over the soil surface
to keep in moisture and prevent weeds from growing.
Mull
The decomposing leaf
litter that forms on
neutral and alkaline
soils. This material is alive with soil creatures that quickly break it down and incorporate it into the topsoil.
Muscovite
A brown form of mica. The
name muscovite comes from Muscovy glass because it was once used instead of glass in Russia. As thin sheets it is almost transparent and is known as isinglass. It is sometimes used for furnace windows.
N
Native metal
A metal that occurs uncombined with any other element. Native metals include gold, platinum, silver
and copper.
 Native metal – Gold is one of the best-known native metals, often found in the beds of mountain streams. Native metals such as gold and silver have been sought by prospectors for centuries.
Normal fault
A fault in which one rock face has slipped down across the face of another. It is the most common kind of fault and results from tension in the crust. (See also: Reversed fault.)
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