Soil

Soil
-loose mineral or organic
materials found on the
earth's surface
 Soil
-supports rooted plants in a
natural environment
 Soil
- there are soils practically on
every land that is not covered
by water
Soil
 Soil
Soils are classified based on their:
-color
-profile
-texture
-composition or structure
 Soil
Soils can be found on:
-Earth's immediate surface
-Mid and deep under the surface
 Soil
Soils on the surface (a few
millimeters deep) :
usually exposed to direct climatic and
environmental factors
 Soil
Soils on the surface (a few
millimeters deep) :
-easily blown by the wind
-easily washed away
by water
 Soil
Soils on the surface (a few
millimeters deep) :
-easily broken down by temperature
changes, human and animal activity
 Soil
Soils found deep down the Earth :
-often protected from climatic and
environmental factors
 Soil
farmers and soil scientists look out
for soil chemistry:
-soil pH (it’s acidity)
-nutrient level
-organic content
-chemical composition of the minerals found on it
 Soil
pedology
- study of soils as naturally
occurring phenomena
 Soil
Horizons
 SoilA soilHorizons
horizon is
a layer parallel to the
soil surface, whose physical characteristics
differ from
the layers above and beneath.
 Soil Horizons
- Each soil type usually has three
or four horizons.
Soil Horizons
3 major horizons
-A Horizon
-B Horizon
-C Horizon
Soil Horizons
Other horizons
-O Horizon
-E Horizon
-R Horizon
Soil Horizons
Soil Horizons
 Soil Horizons
O horizon
-very common in many surfaces with
lots of vegetative cover
 Soil Horizons
O horizon
-made up of organic materials such as
dead leaves and surface organisms, twigs
 SoilO horizon
Horizons
-has 20% organic matter
-often black or dark
brown in color
-roots of small grass are found
 Soil Horizons
A horizon
-May be seen in the absence of the O
horizon usually known as the topsoil
 Soil Horizons
A horizon
-top layer soils for many grasslands
and agricultural lands
 Soil Horizons
A horizon
-typically, made of sand, silt and clay
with high amounts of organic matter
 Soil Horizons
A horizon
-most vulnerable to wind and water
erosion
-known as the root zone
 Soil Horizons
e horizon
-lighter in color
-often below the O and A horizons
 Soil Horizons
e horizon
-often rich in nutrients that are
leached from the top A and O horizons
Soile horizon
Horizons
-lower clay content
-common in forested lands
or areas with high quality
O & A horizons
 Soil Horizons
b horizon
-has some similarities with the E horizon
-formed below the O, A and
E horizons
 Soil Horizons
b horizon
-may contain high concentrations of
silicate clay, iron, aluminum and
carbonates
 Soil Horizons
b horizon
-also called as illuviation zone because of the
accumulation of minerals
-roots of big trees end
 Soil Horizons
c horizon
-lacks all the properties of the layers above it
-mainly made up of broken bedrock and no organic
material
 Soil Horizons
c horizon
-has cemented sediment and geologic material
-additions and losses of soluble materials may
occur
-also known as saprolite
 Soil Horizons
r horizon
-bedrock, material, compacted and cemented by the
weight of the overlying horizons
-unweathered parent material
-granite, basalt and limestone
Types of Soil
 Sandy Soil
-free draining, with the largest, but fine and hard
particles
-has a gritty feel
-does not bind very well
-poor in holding water and easily warms up in the
spring season
 Sandy Soil
-very low in nutrients, as they are usually washed
away
-usually formed from the weathering or
disintegration of bedrock such as shale, limestone,
granite and quartz
 Silty Soil
-finer, smoother in texture and holds water better
than sandy soils
-holds up nutrients and make it better for crop
cultivation
 Silty Soil
-formed when fine sediments (dust, organic matter
and debris) are carried by water or ice and
deposited
-leaves a bit of residue after you touch them
 Clay
-the particles that make up clay are the
finest and they bind very well
-has very little air spaces
 Clay
-very sticky when wet
-can be molded into any shape
and form
-rock hard when dry
-do not drain very well
 Loamy
-mixture of sand, clay and silt particles
-has the ability to retain water
-high in calcium and aeration
-ideal for most crops and vegetables
 Peaty
-acidic
-does not support decomposition very well
-dark in color
-rich in organic material
 Peaty
-contains less nutrients than loamy soils
-retains water very well
 Chalky
-alkaline with a pH of about 7.5
-not acidic and often stony with chalk or
limestone bedrock
 Chalky
-free draining because of its coarse and
stony nature
-not the best for crops
 Soil
Conservatio
 Soil Conservation
-process or activities we can do or apply
to our use of soils and lands to ensure
their sustained health and quality
Soil Conservation
Planting vegetative cover
 Soil Conservation
Careful waste disposal and management
-when we recycle more and compost our food
waste, we reduce the amount of contaminants
that we
introduce to soils
 Soil Conservation
Farming practices
-terrace and contour farms take into account
the slope of the land to reduce run-off after
the rains
 Factors
Affecting Soil
Formation
 Parent Material
-refers to the mineral material, or organic
material from which the soil is formed
 Parent Material
-soils will carry the characteristics of its parent
material such as color, texture, structure, mineral
composition and so on
 Time
-younger soils have some characteristics from their
parent material, but as they age, the
addition of organic matter, exposure to moisture and
other environmental factors may change its features
 Climate
-most important factor that can shape the
formation of soils
-temperature and precipitation are key
-moisture
 Relief
-refers to the landscape position and the slopes
it has
-steep, long slopes mean water will run down
faster and potentially erode the surfaces of
slopes
 Relief
-slopes may be exposed to more direct
sunlight, which may dry out soil moisture
and render it less fertile
Soil Conservation
Relief
 Organisms
-source and richness of organic matter is
down to the living things (plants and
animals) that live on and in the soils
 Organisms
-plants in particular, provide lots of
vegetative residue that are added to soils
 Organisms
-their roots also hold the soils and protect
them from wind and water erosion
 Organisms
-fungi, bacteria, insects, earthworms, and
burrowing animals help with soil aeration
 Organisms
-microorganisms also help with mineral
and nutrient cycling and chemical reactions
Importance
of Soil
 Importance of
-Soil provides theSoil
medium for plant growth;
-habitat for many insects and organisms;
 Importance of
Soil
-act as a filtration system for surface water
-carbon storage and maintenance of
atmospheric gases