Introduction to Soils (Tim) Flashcards
Soil definition:
collection of natural bodies on earth’s surface containing living matter and supporting, or capable of supporting plants. Its upper limit is the atmosphere (air) or water, and at its lateral margins it grades to deep water or barren areas of rock and ice. Its lower limit is normally considered to be the lower limit of the common rooting zone (root zone) of the native perennial plants, a boundary that is shallow in the deserts and tundra and deep in the humid tropics.
what is a soil profile?
vertical display of sopil horizons
Pedon
a 3-D unit that represents the entire soil body and is the smallest volume of soil that shows all of the characteristic properties of a particular soil.
Typically represents 10-100 ft2 of surface area.
A group of pedons is called polypedons.
soil series
soils that have developed from similar materials by similar processes resulting in similar appearances and properties.
The characteristic properties of a soil series are unique.
There are more than 20,000 soil series in the United States.
soil colour
can suggest soil properties that may influence plants.
Dark soil near the surface may indicate a high organic matter content, which may lead to easier cultivation and higher nutrient content
(smear the soil into the notebook next to a pedon for colour)
colour and maturity of soil
A young, unweathered soil may have a soil of uniform color.
In older, weathered soils, yellow and red colors may dominate well below the surface of the soil.
Soil forming Factors
CL - Climate OR - Organisms P - Parent Material T - Time T – Topography
=CLORPTT (an easier way to remember the soil forming factors)
Climate:
refers to rainfall and temperature.
The main effects are: weathering, the production of organic matter , and the decomposition of organic matter
Organisms (or biotic activity
Vegetation is the main biotic factor.
The type of vegetation affects the soil color and organic matter content, especially in the A (or top) horizon
also- WORMS
Grasslands vs. Forests
Trees contribute less organic matter to the soil each year when compared to grasslands.
Parent Materials
defined as the materials underlying the soil and from which the soil developed.
There are many different parent materials, including:
Residual minerals and rocks (bedrock)
Glacial deposits
Loess deposits
Alluvial and marine deposits
Organic deposits
Loess Deposits
Loess deposits formed as high speed winds picked up predominantly silt-sized particles and carried them across open areas.
As the wind speed slowed the particles fell to the ground covering the native soil and parent material.
Alluvial Deposits
Alluvial deposits refer to sediments carried by and deposited in fresh water.
Flooding events carry rocks and minerals, which are deposited in bands.
Marine Deposits
Marine sediments refer to sediments carried by fresh water but deposited in salt water.
Marine sediments can build up over long periods of time until eventually they are quite deep.
Organic Deposits
Organic deposits originate from plants that have died or shed their leaves.
Organic deposits are common to areas such as swamps and marshes since the chemical and biological process that decompose the organic matter are greatly limited by the saturated conditions
Time as a Soil Forming Factor
Time zero is the point in time at which a catastrophic event (flood or earthquake) is completed and a new cycle of soil development is initiated.
Time is important in soil formation because it determines the degree to which the other soil forming factors express themselves.
“Old” Soils
“Old” soils are those that have experienced intense weathering of parent material in the presence of biotic factors. These soils will have well developed profiles containing A, E, and B horizons.
“Young” Soils
Young soils have weakly developed horizons and may often lack E and B horizons.
This soil profile lacks any horizon development.
Absolute Age
If the absolute age of a soil is of interest, a soil scientist may measure the activity of radioactive carbon.
Knowing the activity of the radioactive carbon the scientist can estimate the age of the parent material that has been subjected to weathering.
Topography
Topography consists of three parts: elevation, slope, and aspect.
SLOPE is the tilt or inclination of the land.
ELEVATION is the height above mean sea level.
ASPECT is the direction the slope is facing.
Soil horizons
are soil layers that differ from the overlying and underlying layers in some property, such as color, clay content, abundance of cracks, etc
O Horizon
0 Horizon: Organic horizons are dominated by organic material.
The 0 horizons contain organic litter from plants and animals.
0 horizons are usually present on the soil surface except in the case of peats and mucks where the 0 horizon extends almost to the bottom of the soil.
A Horizon
A Horizon : Mineral horizons that have formed at the soil surface or just below the 0 horizon.
The A horizon may contain some organic material mixed with mineral material.
Properties of the A horizon may reflect plowing, pasturing or similar activities.
B Horizon
B Horizon: Mineral horizon that includes layers in which illuviation or accumulation of materials has taken place.
Clay, iron and aluminum oxides from the overlying E horizon have accumulated here.
C & R Horizons
C Horizon: Mineral horizon consisting of unconsolidated, partially weathered material that is neither soil or rock.
The horizon is below the zone of most biological activity. The upper layer of the C horizon may become part of the B horizon as weathering continues.
R Layer: Underlying consolidated bedrock
Transitional Horizons
layers of soil between two master horizons
Transitional Horizons
are specific features within master horizons that are designated by lowercase letters.
There are many subordinate distinctions such as:
p – plow layer
t – accumulation of clay
b – buried layer
