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Soils Chapter

Soils Chapter. Today’s key terms. Soil Mineral matter Air Water Living organisms Humus. What is soil. Soil is the thin layer of loose material on the earth’s surface. Plants grow in it. It is a natural resource. What is soil made up of. Mineral matter Air Water Living organisms

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Soils Chapter

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  1. Soils Chapter

  2. Today’s key terms • Soil • Mineral matter • Air • Water • Living organisms • Humus

  3. What is soil • Soil is the thin layer of loose material on the earth’s surface. • Plants grow in it. • It is a natural resource.

  4. What is soil made up of • Mineral matter • Air • Water • Living organisms • Humus

  5. Mineral matter • This is the largest ingredient in the make up of soil. • Mineral matter is the remains of rocks. • It looks like gravel and silt

  6. Air • Air is in the space between the soil particles. • Air is important for the growth of roots • It is also important in the formation of humus.

  7. Water • Water is important as it contains dissolved minerals. • These minerals provide plants with important nutrients that are required to grow.

  8. Living organisms • These included • Earthworms • Slugs • Woodlice • Insects • Bacteria • Fungi • The bacteria and fungi in the soil helps to break down dead plants to form Humus • This Humus increases the fertility of the soil

  9. Humus • Humus is the decayed creatures, plants and litter. • Humus provides the soil with nutrients. • Humus increases the fertility of the soil

  10. Soil formation • Soil formation can be influenced different factors and they included • Climate • Parent Rock • Vegetation • Micro-organisms • Time • People

  11. Soil formation Climate Vegetation Parent Rock Micro-organisms All Mix to form Soil Time People

  12. Climate • Climate affects the following • amount of rainfall • The temperature • All of this affects the amount of vegetation • Back

  13. Parent Rock • Climate influences the amount of erosion/weathering that occurs to rock in a region • This influences the amount of mineral matter that is present in the soil. • Back

  14. Vegetation • Influenced by the climate • The type of Vegetation • The amount of Vegetation • Back

  15. Micro-organisms • These Micro-organisms break down the vegetation • The amount of vegetation dictates the amount of humus in the soil • Back

  16. Time • The amount of time soils is allowed form dictates the type of soil that forms. • It takes approx 400 years for 1cm of soil to form. • Back

  17. People • People can alter the formation of soil • Irrigation, drainage or fertilizing all make the soil more fertile OR • Overuse make the soil les fertile. Back

  18. Homework • Update all your notes and • Question 1 on page 183

  19. Today’s key terms revised • Soil • Mineral matter • Air • Water • Living organisms • Humus

  20. Today’s Key Terms • Soil profile • Horizon • Leaching • Hardpan • Brown Soils • Podzol Soils • Peaty soils • Gley soils

  21. Last classes terms revised • Soil • Mineral matter • Air • Water • Living organisms • Humus

  22. Soil profile • Soil is made up of different layers • Each layer is called a horizon • Each layer is labelled with a letter

  23. Soil profile of a litter plant • Horizon A • This is the upper layer • It is made of topsoil • It has a high Humus content • It is dark in colour

  24. Soil profile of a litter plant • Horizon B • Found underneath horizon A • It is called a subsoil • Less Humus more stones • Lighter colour

  25. Soil profile of a litter plant • Horizon C • Is the layer of parent rock

  26. Leaching • This is the washing of nutrients from one horizon to the other. • This can cause the loss of fertility in horizon A • If leaching is severe it can result in hardpan • This is grey in colour and is impermeable. • This can result in a field been very wet as water cannot soak into the ground.

  27. Irish Soil • There are four main types of Irish soils they include • Brown Soils • Podzol Soils • Peaty soils • Gley soils

  28. Brown Soils • Found in area where deciduous trees used to be. • Horizon A is rich in humus • Horizon B has a blend of horizon A due to worm action • Horizon C is made of bedrock • This is a very fertile soil

  29. Podzol Soils • Found in area where coniferous trees are found. • These are mainly found in cold climates • Horizon A has low levels of humus • Cold weather has limited worm activity • Between horizon A and horizon B a hardpan may develop. • Horizon C is made of bedrock • This is a very infertile soil

  30. Gley Soils • Develop in areas where the bedrock is impermeable. • Or there is a band of hardpan above the parent rock bed

  31. Peaty soils • Develop in high upland areas. • Areas with high rainfall • Results in water logged land

  32. Today’s Key terms • Tropical red soil • Climate • Chemical weathering • Iron oxide Leaching • Infertile • dd

  33. Last classes Key Terms • Soil profile • Horizon • Leaching • Hardpan • Brown Soils • Podzol Soils • Peaty soils • Gley soils

  34. Tropical red soils • Found in areas that have tropical or equatorial climates. • Formation influenced by hot, wet climatic conditions.

  35. Tropical red soils Formation • The formation/make up of this soil is different to Irish soils. • Continuous leaf fall • Therefore thick layer of litter • This is broken down due to • Mirco-organisms • Hot, wet climatic conditions.

  36. Tropical red soils Formation • The acid from the humus assists the weathering to the parent rock • The erosion is also aoded by the high temperatures • The weathering of the rocks breaks down the iron oxide in the soil. • This gives it a reddish colour.

  37. Tropical red soils Is the soil FERTILE OR INFERTILE • Normal conditions very fertile due to continuous leaf fall. HOWEVER • When the forest are cut away the soil suffers from leaching due to heavy rainfall. • This leads to the soil becoming infertile.

  38. Natural vegetation and soil • Soil influences vegetation • The soils fertility dictates how much the vegetation grows • Vegetation influences soil • The vegetation dictates the amount of humus in the soil.

  39. Soils influences on vegetation • Fertile soil • The more fertile the soil the more it can support strong growth. • Infertile soil • Lack of nutrients can limit the amount of growth that soil can support. Typical vegetation would include coniferous trees. • Soil depth • Trees such as oak and beech need a large depth of soil because of there deep roots and there need for nutrients.

  40. Vegetations influence on soil • Humus role • Binds soil • Nourish soil • Influences the colour of horizon A • Vegetation reduces the effect of leaching • Roots absorb the leached nutrients • Vegetation reduces soil erosion • Roots bind the soil • Roots absorbs some of the water content in the soil.

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