Soils -Composition -Formation -Profiles -Characteristics

1. Geoecology
Chapter 1

2. Soil Composition

 What is soil made up of?

3. Soil Composition

5%
25%
45%
Mineral Mater
Water
Air
25%
Organic Material

4. Soil Composition

1. Mineral Matter: Rock particles from the bedrock
and weathered rock.
2. Air: found in the pore spaces between rock grains.
3. Water: Also found in pore spaces.
4. Organic Material:
 Humus – a black sticky gel produced from decaying
leaves and animals.
 Living organisms – earthworms, beetles, fungi,
bacteria.

5. How are Soils Formed?

1. Solid rock particles
break down from
mechanical
weathering.
2. Chemical
weathering releases
important nutrients
from the rock grains.
4. Micro-organisms
decompose the
remains of plants to
form humus which
further enriches the
soil.
3. Seeds are blown or
carried onto the soil
grains and may grow
into plants that enrich
the soil when they die.
5. The cycle continues
until soils reaches
maximum fertility given
the climate it is in.

6. Soil Formation

7. Soil Profiles

Show the type of soil in the region.
Defined as a vertical section of soil from the
ground surface downwards to where soil
meets the underlying rock.
Composed of a number of distinctive layers
called horizons.
The key to understanding the processes
involved in soil development.

8. Soil Profiles

O = Organic horizon
 This has a high
percentage of organic
matter – leaves, plants
and dead animals.
 Humus is formed as the
dead organic matter
decays.
 Also called the litter
layer.

9. A Horizon
Soil Profiles

 Known as topsoil.
 A dark organic material
mixed with mineral soil
grains.
 It is a source of plant
nutrients and contains
the majority of plant
roots.

10. B Horizon
Soil Profiles

 Also called the subsoil.
 The B horizon is the most
widely used to identify
soil type.
 May result purely from
the weathering of
underlying rock or from
movement downwards
of materials from
horizons above.

11. C Horizon
Soil Profiles

 Lies just above the
bedrock.
 The overlying soil
horizons often develop
from the C horizon.

12. Soil Characteristics

The characteristics of a soil influence the
soil’s fertility.
Characteristics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Colour
Soil Structure
Texture
Organic Content
PH Value
Water Content

13. Soil Characteristics
1. Colour

The colour of a soil indicates the amount of
organic material in it.
Humus-rich soils = black / dark drown.
Leached soils = white.
Dark soils absorb more sunlight and warm
up more quickly, which aids seed
germination.
Pale coloured soils reflect sunlight and are
slower to warm up.

14. Soil Characteristics:
2. Soil Structure
 soil grains or particles.
 This refers to the shape of the
 Soil grains or particles cluster together to form small
lumps called peds.
 The shape of these peds indicates the structure of the
soil.
 Common soils structures:
1. Crumb/ granular
2. Blocky
3. Platy

15. Crumb / Granular

Loam soils have this structure.
The peds are small rounded clumps of
soil particles similar to breadcrumbs in
size.
This structure is good for holding air
and water.

16. Blocky

Sandy soils have this structure.
Peds are closely packed angular blocks.
Well drained but can be compacted
easily - plants have difficulty growing
when this occurs.
Adding humus to this soil can improve
structure for plant growth.

17. Platy

Forms in clay soils.
Soil peds are arranged in thin
layers.
Prevents good drainage of water
through the soil.
Plants have difficulty growing in
this soil type.

18. Soil Characteristics
3.Texture

How a soil feels when you touch it.
Determines whether a soil can support
plant growth.
There are 4 main textures:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sandy soils
Clay soils
Silty soils
Loam soils

19. Sandy soils

 Have gritty texture (85 – 100% sand).
 Formed from weathered rocks such as limestone
and granite.
 Waterlogging is rare in sandy soils – they are very
free draining.
 Watering and feeding of plants (fertilising) is
needed regularly because the nutrients drain away
easily.
 Tend not to stick together when wet.

20. Clay soils

Contain 40-100% clay.
Very sticky and lumpy when wet.
Rock hard when dry.
Made up of very fine particles with few air
spaces.
Hard to work and often waterlogged.
Rich in nutrients so plants will grow well if
enough drainage.

21. Silty soils

Contain 40-100% silt.
Composed of minerals (mainly quartz)
and fine organic particles.
Have more nutrients than sandy soils
and do not tend to become
waterlogged.
Have a smooth and powdery texture
when dry.

22. Loam soils

Contain roughly equal amounts of sand, silt
and clay.
Usually drain well and retain enough
moisture to support roots.
Nutrient rich.
Light and easy to dig.
Most plants will grow in loam soils.
Feels crumbly in texture.

24. Soil Characteristics
4. Organic / Humus Content

This refers to the amount of dead leaves,
roots, plants and animals that have rotted
away to form humus.
Humus binds the soil together limiting soil
erosion.
Humus content affects the colour, texture
and structure of soils.
Soils rich in humus tend to be dark with a
good crumb structure and loam texture.

25. Soil Characteristics
5. pH Value

 pH value = a measure of a soil’s acidity or alkalinity.
 pH of a soil is affected by the parent material (rock it
developed on).
 Most plants prefer a slightly acidic soil with a pH
value of 6.5.
 Very acidic soil discourages the presence of living
things which reduces humus content of soils.

26. Soil Characteristics
6. Water content

Water is important for soils because it:
 Enables plants to absorb nutrients dissolved from the
mineral grains.
 Enables the survival of micro-organisms responsible for
humus formation.
 Reduces soil erosion by wind.
 Enables formation of soil horizons.
 Binds soil particles together.

27. Soil Characteristics
6. Water content

Some soils allow percolation and
leaching to occur easily, e.g. sandy
soils.
Other soils, like clays, limit these
processes and become waterlogged.