Transcript Properties of Soil

Properties of Soil
SOIL
Mixture of mineral matter,
organic matter, water, and air.
Properties of soil
4 SOIL COMPONENTS

Average soils will contain 45% minerals and 5%
organic matter.

50%.
The components air and water equal the other
Air
25%
Mineral
Matter
45%
Water
25%
Organic
Matter 5%
SOIL COMPONENTS
The two components Water and Air change depending on
the amount of water or rain fall a soil receives.
The four parts of a soil:
 mineral
 organic matter (HUMUS)
 water
 air
5 SOIL FORMATION
FACTORS
1.
from.
Parent material-The material that soils will be formed
2.
Climatic factors* Most influential of the four factors.
a.
Temperature
b.
Rain
c.
Wind
*Active factors
SOIL FORMATION
FACTORS
3. Relief (topography)The elevation or slope of the land.Soil
Formation Factors
4. Biota* (biosphere) All Living organisms in an environment
5. Time-The amount of time that materials have been
weathered, determine the type of soil and it’s properties.
SOIL PROFILE
consists of 3 basic layers
• topsoil
• subsoil
• soil bedrock
TOPSOIL
represents depth normally
plowed
SUBSOIL
deep rooting plants send
roots down into subsoil
MASTER HORIZONS
O-(organic) forms above the mineral
soil. This horizon is usually found in
forested areas.
A-This is the top soil.
It is a dark humus
layer where most plant rooting occurs
MASTER HORIZONS
B-zone of illuviation or accumulation
from zones above it.
C-parent material composed of windblown silt(loess),river deposits or glacial
till,
R-Bedrock
SOIL
classified according to
percentage of sand, silt, and
clay they contain.
We call this Soil texture!
SOIL PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
What is Soil Texture?
•It is the proportion of three sizes of
soil particles.
• Which are:
• Sand (Large)
• Silt (Medium)
• Clay (Small)
SOIL STRUCTURE
Soils have three different particle sizes
The largest particles are sand. They range from
2.0-.005 mm in diameter
SOIL STRUCTURE
Particles that are between .005-.002 mm in diameter
are considered silt.
The soil particles .002 mm in diameter and smaller are
clay particles.
SOIL TEXTURE
What is Sand?
• It is the largest and is further divided into
four subcategories.
• They are:
•
•
•
•
Very coarse sand
Coarse sand
Medium sand
Fine Sand
SOIL TEXTURE
 Sand
 it is the largest soil separate and is composed
mainly of weathered grains of quartz.
 Sand is also gritty to the touch.
 Sand grains will not stick to each other.
 silt and clay make up less than 20% by weight
 drain well
 little water holding capacity
SOIL TEXTURE
Sand
• What will sand do to the soil?
• It will improve the soil by improving the water
infiltration and aeration
SOIL TEXTURE
Silt
• is the medium sized soil separated.
• Silt particles are silky or powdery to the touch
• Silt grains will not stick to one another just like sand
grains.
• Silt is the best soil as it has the ability to hold large
amounts of water in a form plants can use.
SOIL TEXTURE
Clay
• is the smallest size soil separate.
• It is composed of tiny crystals
• Clay is formed by chemical reactions between weathered minerals to
form tiny particle of new minerals.
• Clay will hold more plant nutrients than any other separate.
• Clay grains will stick to one another.
must contain at least 30% clay
holds more moisture than is good for plants
poor drainage
LOAMY SOIL
most desirable soil
equal parts sand, silt and
clay
SOIL TEXTURE
SOIL TEXTURE
1.
• 40% sand 22% clay and 38% silt
• What is the soil classified as?
SOIL TEXTURE
2.
• 30% sand 30 % clay and 40 % silt
• What is it?
SOIL TEXTURE
3.
• 40% sand 10 % clay and 50% silt
• What is it?
SOIL TEXTURE
4.
• 40 % sand 30% clay and 30% silt.
• What is it?