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Chapter 11: Soil

Presentation by: Alex Hezik. Chapter 11: Soil. Parent material (rock or sediments deposited by wind, water, or ice) is weathered to form soil Soil separates are classified below the size of small stones; include gravel/cobble/boulder (particles larger than 2.0 mm)

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Chapter 11: Soil

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  1. Presentation by: Alex Hezik Chapter 11: Soil

  2. Parent material (rock or sediments deposited by wind, water, or ice) is weathered to form soil • Soil separates are classified below the size of small stones; include • gravel/cobble/boulder (particles larger than 2.0 mm) • sand (made up of particles from 2.0 to 0.063 mm) • silt (made up of particles from 0.063 to 0.004 mm) • clay (made up of particles finer than 0.004 mm) • Soil texture refers to relative proportions of each type of particle in a given soil • Soil that consists of 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay is called loam 11.1 – Soil and Plants

  3. 11.1 – Soil and Plants

  4. 11.1 – Soil and Plants • Soil Horizons • O horizon: humus (surface litter, decomposing plant matter) • A horizon: topsoil (mixed humus and leached mineral soil) • E horizon: zone of leaching (less humus, minerals resistant to leaching) • B horizon: subsoil (accumulation of leached minerals like iron oxides) • C horizon: weathered parent material (partly broken-down minerals)

  5. Erosion is the process of soil and humus particles being picked up and carried away by water or wind • Water erosion is broken up into three distinct phenomena: • splash erosion (compaction of soil that results when rainfall hits bare soil) • sheet erosion (loss of a layer of soil from land surface due to impact of rain and runoff from rainstorm) • gully erosion (produced by running water and resulting in formation of gullies) 11.2 – Soil Degradation

  6. When wind removes fine particles from desert soil, a thin surface layer of stones and gravel is left behind, which is a called a desert pavement • Desert pavement protects underlying soil against further erosion • Rainfall-clogged soil that is dried becomes colonized by cryptogams (algae, lichens, and mosses), forming a cryptogamic crust that inhibits water infiltration and seed generation 11.2 – Soil Degradation

  7. Practices that expose soil to erosion and lead to soil degradation include: • overcultivation • overgrazing • deforestation • Sediments that result from soil erosion can clog up streams and rivers, causing sedimentation • Can also build up in groundwater reservoirs, depleting groundwater resources 11.2 – Soil Degradation

  8. Laws involving soils include… Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program: provides funding for investigating ways to accomplish goals of sustainable agriculture Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act (FAIR): reduced and eliminated subsidies and controls over many farm commodities; ended in failure, resulting in the maintenance of subsidies and controls FAIR initially targeted 11.3 – Soil Conservation

  9. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002: successor to FAIR that continued to maintain subsidies to farmers Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008: maintains existing high levels of support and subsidies to farms Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): encourages conservation-minded landowners to set aside portions of their land or address pollution problems 11.3 – Soil Conservation

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