The document describes soil as a complex mixture of materials, highlighting the soil profile that illustrates its structure through various horizons, including organic layers and mineral content. It classifies soil into twelve orders, with specific characteristics of ultisol, aridisols, and spodosols based on climate and fertility. Additionally, processes like salinization and podsolization are mentioned, explaining the impact of climate on soil properties.

1. 1
What is Soil
• A complex mixture of living and non-living material.
• (https://botanylive.com/)
Soil Profile provides a true picture of soil structure in a constant state of flux.

2. 2
Soil Profile
A vertical section of the soil from the ground surface downwards
up to the underlying rock
Soil Profile

3. 3

4. 4
Soil Horizons
• O horizon: The Superficial Layer (Organic) Freshly fallen organic
material
• A horizon: Mixture – (minerals, clay, silt and sand)
• B horizon: Clay, humus, and other materials leached from A horizon -
often contains plant roots.
• C horizon: Weathered parent material.

5. 5
1) Entisol
2) Mollisol
3) Alfisol
4) Andisol
5) Aridisol
6) Inceptisol
7) Histosol
8) Oxisol
9) Vertisol
10) Spodosol
11) Ultisol
12) Gelisol
There are twelve orders of soil

6. 6

7. 7

8. 8
Ultisol
•Ultisol
• Warm climate
• Red to yellowish
• Less Fertile

9. 9
Highly oxidized/weathered soils
Mostly found in West Tennessee.

10. 10
Aridisols - desert soils
Aridisols are dry”, and form
in an arid or semi-arid
climate.
Aridisols dominate the
deserts and xeric climate

11. 11
Aridisol (Salinization)
• Salinization: Dry climates – less
soil moisture due to
evapotranspiration exceeds
precipitation
• water leaves the soil through the
surface. The minerals (NaCl)
dissolved move upward from the
groundwater and result in a salt
crust on the surface of the soil. Evapotranspiration in the UAE is 3300
mm, but rainfall is less than 100 mm

12. 12
Spodosols (Podsolization)
• Spodosols
• Cool moist regions
• Acid, shallow leaching
horizon
• Deep layer of deposition,
lower soil fertility