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From MYP unit – factors affecting the physical Environment of Barbados – Codrington School Piers Tainsh. Soil in Barbados. What is soil?. Watch the two animations at http://whs.moodledo.co.uk/file.php/1365/Ecosytems%20and%20Soil/What%20is%20Soil.swf
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From MYP unit – factors affecting the physical Environment of Barbados – Codrington School Piers Tainsh Soil in Barbados
What is soil? • Watch the two animations at • http://whs.moodledo.co.uk/file.php/1365/Ecosytems%20and%20Soil/What%20is%20Soil.swf • http://www.montereyinstitute.org/courses/AP%20Environmental%20Science/course%20files/multimedia/lesson51/animations/4c_soil_profile.html Task: Describe what soil is made from?
What is soil made of • made up of a mixture of • organic material and minerals. • organic matter comes from • dead plants • the minerals come from the rocks underground. • These rocks are called bedrock. • Because the plants grow on top of the soil and the rocks are found underground, soil is made up of layers.
The Soil Profile • There are different sections • O and A – the organic layers made from broken up dead material to make humus • B – the topsoil a mix of humus and minerals broken down by weathering of rock • C – weathered parent rock • Below this is the rock. Task: Draw a labeled diagram of a Soil Profile
How are soils different? • Their texture depends on the mix of clay, silt and sand in them.
Other differences • pH – acid or alkali • Water content – • Nutrient level • Organisms in it
Longer Answer Task • From looking at the maps of climate, vegetation and soils, describe any patterns that you see and try and explain them
I notice that places with tropical soil have rainforest biomes this is because of the tropical-wet temperature levels
So What Should the Soil of Barbados be like if it was a Zonal Soil? • What do you notice about this soil (a tropical latasol) • Annotate a copy of this photo to show the A, B and C horizons
Soil in Barbados is Intrazonal • In this case it is not climate or vegetation that is so important in creating the type of soil it is the rock - LIMESTONE Task: Take a picture of a profile of Barbados soil. Import it onto a graphics package and annotate it with explanations. Upload it onto your Google map.