Soil

Formation of Soil

• Combination of sediments and organic material

• 4 main components– Organic material– Sediment– Water– Air

• Combinations of these form different types of soil

5 Factors that affect properties of soil

• Parent Material: type of rock that was broken down

• Climate: temperature and precipitation

• Topography: how steep the land is

• Organism: plants and animals that put in and take out nutrients

• Time: 500 yrs. for every inch of soil, different climates=shorter/longer

Soil Horizons • Horizons are Layers

• O = Organic Horizon– 0-2”– living organisms– Mostly made of humus– “plant litter”– Dark in color

Soil Horizons • A Horizon– 2-10”– Top Soil– Humus/mineral mixture– Plant roots grow– Very dark-colored

Soil Horizons • B Horizon– 10-30”– “Sub Soil”– Lots of nutrients– Water leaching brings clay,

salt, mineral deposits– Less organic matter– Lighter in color

Soil Horizons • C Horizon– 30-48”– Weathered parent material

and bedrock– Almost no organic matter– No plant roots

Soil Degradation

• Topsoil removed by plowing

• Vegetation is removed• Compacting soil• Drying of soil• Nutrients depleted

Reclamation • Reclaiming of land destroyed by mining/farming

• Layer of topsoil, add fast growing plants

• Landscape matching surrounding areas