SOIL SCIENCE

*Science dealing with soil as a natural resource on the surface of the earth, including Pedology (soil
genesis, classification and mapping), physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soil, and
these properties in relation to their management for crop production.

DISCIPLINE IN SOILSCI

*Soil Fertility: Nutrient supplying properties of soil

*Soil chemistry: Chemical constituents, chemical properties and the chemical reactions

*Soil physics: Involves the study of physical properties

*Soil microbiology: Deals with microorganisms, its population, classification, role in transformation

*Soil Conservation: Dealing with protection of soil against physical loss by erosion or against chemical
deterioration (excessive loss of nutrients either natural or artificial means)

*Soil Pedology: Dealing with the fenesis, survey, and classification

2 APPROACHES OF SOIL STUDY

1. Pedological: (greek word “pedon” = soil/earth) treats soil as a natural body, weathered and
synthesized product in nature.

*Foscises on the examining and general characteristics of soil: Classification, pedogenesis, and soil
morphology. Focuses on the pedosphere

2. Edaphological: (greek word “edaphos” = soil/ground) treats soil as a medium for plant growth.
Consider soil for its immediate use.

*Focuses on how soil influences living things, especially plants. Processes such as chemical and physical
weathering, decomposition of materials, and texture of the soil, & (structure and water composition in
the soil)

Intrusive igneous rocks:

-when magma solidify inside the volcano

Extrusive: outside
Minerals are inorganic chemicals in nature, they form rocks.

Rocks – solidified mixture of 2 or more minerals.

Mohs scale (signifies relative hardness):

*Gypsum, calcite, flourite are easily weathered in form of clay, etc)

*Orthoclase, quartz, topaz, corundum, diamond (cannot be easily weathered)

SCRATCH

*Talc – finger nail

*Calcite – copper coin

*Fluorite – wire nail

*Apattite – glass & knife blade

*Orthoclase – streak plate

METAMORPHIC ROCKS

- Formed with high temperature and pressure in subduction zone where it is the collision of
oceanic and continental plate.

Classification of common Metamorphic rocks:

Marbles: non foliated

IGNEOUS ROCKS

Granitic rocks:
-high silica (melt 650°C)

-high potassium and sodium, low in Fe, Mg, Ca

Andisitic: amible

Basaltic: (becomes clay soil)

Ultramaphic: (becomes clay soil)

-low potassium and sodium

-high in Fe, Mg, Ca (melts 1250 °C)

Rock are easy/not easily weathered because of their mineral composition and sizes.

The hardness of minerals influences its weathering.

The chemical formula of minerals tells their contribution in soil formation.

Example: Calcite or Gypsum contributes Ca, C & O (carbonate), and clay.

Texture (dominant and accesory minerals)

(Importance: to know if rock are easily or hardly weathered)

*Phameritic (coarse grained)

*Aphamitic (fine grained)

*Phorpahyritic (

*Glassy (magma comes in contact with water right away)

*Vesicular (extrusive igneous rock, contains pores with air)

*Pyroclastic

2 TYPES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

*Detrital Sedimentary Rocks

- petrified, solidified, cemented

*

Minerals found in all Clay Soils

(Secondary clay minerals)

*Illite – clay: dominant, silt: negligible

*Kaolinite – clay: dominant, silt: negligible

*Smecctite – clay: dominant

*Vermiculite – clay: dominant

*Chlorite – clay & silt: present

*Mica – clay: negligible, silt: dominant

*Quartz – clay: minority, silt: majority

*Feldspar – clay: minority, silt: majority

*Gypsum – clay: negligible, silt: dominant

*Calcite – clay & silt: present

*Hematite – clay: dominant, silt: negligible

*Goetite – clay & silt: present

Major Components of Soil

Air – 25%

Water – 25%

Mineral – 45%

Organic Matter – 5%: (organisms – 10%, Roots – 10%, Humus – 80%)

True soils are A and B horizons (solum)

- It is highly active part of the soil, where the soil organisms, roots, simple and complex
compounds can be found.
Organic matter of the soil is called the microbial factory.

In the process of decomposistion, gases are formed and released.

1 tbsp = billions of microorganisms

Dominant influence on Soil Formation in Nature is referred as:

*Lithosequence – parent material

*Climosequence – climate (influence of temp. And rainfall)

Dry climate East&North facing slope.

-have predominantly grasses, fast turnover of organic matters.

Wet climate in west&south facing slopes

-lush and thick vegetation, organic matter deposits are thickers.

1. Tropical Countries – soil formation is advanced, (reddish brown) – mostly Oxisols and Ultisols

2.

*biosequence – organisms/vegetation

*toposequence – topography

*chronosequence – time

.........

Weathering

- The breaking down and changing of rocks into sediments as a result of exposure to the
environment.
As mechanical weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces, more surface area is exposed to chemical
weathering.

Physical weathering

-weathering/breakingearthquake, exfoliation, abrasion, etc.

Chemical Weathering:

-the altering of rocks as a result of exposure to different substances.

- oxidation (rusting), redox, carbonation (produces carbonic acid, could result to weakening of
underground minerals), disillusion, hydrolysis, hydration,

DECOMPOSITION FACTORS

*C N ratio

- high carbon content = slow decomposition.

- high nitrogen content = fast decomposition process

*Temperature

- depending on the cycrophilic, mesophilic,

*pH

- soil ph influences how it is habitable for microorganisms that are the responsible for decomposition of
organic matter.

Moisture

Microbes

Nitrogen supply – microorganisms needed to form their body (need amonium)

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

- Plays crucial role in managing climate change.

-Environmental factors

-Other Agronomic factors – contribute to food supply and security.

Nitrogen fixation – ryzobium

Legumes contributes to soil health

Solubilization of Phosphorus

Micropore- water is retained (longer retention). Should be filled with water only half of its volume.

Macropore –

Dry soil – macropore has no water but only micropore.

Technical term for soil water – soil solution

May contain nutrients. NPK (primary macronutrients). Zn, Ni, Ca, Mg, Cu (micronutrients)

*Hygroscopic water – remaining water that adhere to soil particles (unavailable to plant)

*Between Hydroscopic and Capilliary water – water would move up through capilliary rise because of
the pressure and temperature. (Wilting point)

*Adhesion and Cohesion takes place.

*Between capilliary and gravitational water – called Field Capacity

*Gravitational water – water pulled by gravity. (If therebis no more water draining is referred as at filled
capacity)

*Water drained by gravity is called Drained water

*Available Water – water that has been excessed by gravity, which will be available for soil absorption
(Pedon is the smallest unit of soil that can be described)

Soil as a 3 dimension body – Length, breadth, depth

Soil differ from place to place. (Vertically and horizons

Upper boundary – can be the atmosphere or water

Lower boundary – rock/lithosphere

Soil profile is the exposure of soil horizons.

Soil Horizons

O – organic layer (contains: partly decomposed Org. Mat., and humus)

A – Topsoil (minerals with humus), the zone of removal

E – master horizon, eluviation Layer. (Contains leach of minerals and organic matter, resulting to its light
collored minerals). Also zone of removal.

B – Subsoil (deposited minerals and metal salts), zone of accumulation/illuviation.

C – Parent rock

Partly weathered rock. Already consolidated.

R – Bedrock

Unweathered parent rock, or consolidated bedrock.

Some may or may nor be present

Arid – columnar and prismatic

In ctu – inplace. The pedogenic processes is not affected by erosion and deposition.

Pedogenisis – process of evolution of soil

*Iron-rich rocks usually resulting to iron rich soil which has higher positive charges, or lower pH (acidic)
and darker red color.

*Rocks with magnesium would develop into soil with higher pH (alkaline pH) with darker, black/gray
color)

TOPOGRAPHY (Slide 101)

(Influences both physical and chemical weathering)

Any Geological structurenof the elevation above sea level, configuration, and the slope.

Position of the parent material/soil during pedogenesis influences the hydrologic cycle, transporation,
and other such processes.

Soil profiles on the convex slopes – usually more shallow with less distinct sublayers thank soils on the
top of the concave slopes.

Lower slopes – has higher content of organic matter due to runoffs compared to higher part of slopes.

Might be susceptible to changes over time by processes like soil erosion and earthquakes, which affects
the process of soil formation.

Influence: accumulation of organic matter.

Organic matter decomposistion – advanced in grasses, slow in tree forests.

Climate

-affects the growth of vegetation, extent weathering, availability of soil organisms involved in diff.
Pedogenic processes.

Direct influence – via water and solar energy.

Temperate – humid climate results in tropical soil with sufficient moisture. High temp due to high
moisture.

Dessert – (place where high solar and water energy) not advanced. Atmosphere is high, temp. Is high.

Organisms

*Regions with grassland – fast turnover/mixing. Shallow organic matter

*Forest floor – long time to decompose. Mixing of organic matter is slow. Will have a build up and
deeper organic layer.

*Metabolic and physical activities caused by humans/soil organisms/microorganisms.

Time

*It would take time for soils to be formed

*independent factor, an abstract variable that shows the evolution of soil might change without any
external inputs.

*influences can be observed by the composition of the soul where the accumulation of clay and lime in
the sublayers occurs due to downward translocation.

*the humus content in the soil horizons might also differ with aging

Soil horizons are formed vertically downward.

Soil formation process begins:

*Weathering: (breakdown of parent rocks and minerals) can occur either biological, physical, and
chemical processes. (Ultimate product: sand, silt, vlay, ions) – decomposistion=humus

*Accumulation of the product of weathering) added to soil by forces of ice, water, or wind and
accumulate over time.°accumulations are likely to poor drained soils/root systems can hold materials
even in well drained soils. Microorganisms helps transform organic materials into nutrients.

*Leaching (complete removal or soil constiturnts out of the solum/A and B hor: Loss of the product of
weathering) – either horizontall/vertically downward
-Upward – capilliary rise.

-the physical and chemical composition of new accumulated materials

D. Transformation

*The chemical weathering of soil particles

Calcification

*Process wherein calcium,. Etc are removed during evapo transpiration/capilliary rise.

*Caused by intense atmosphere

Pedogenic Processes

*Eluviation – E hor

*Illuviation – I

*Leaching

*Erichmenment

*Erosion, Surficial

*Cumulization – wind triggered or water triggered

*decalsification

*calsificat

Search: Agents of Pedoturbation

How soils are formed in dispositions

REPORT!!!! G1: how soil is formed in this diff positions in temperate countries.

🚩In describing the soil, you have to determine the parent material first, Soil Temperature Regime,

Moisture regime:
*Aridic – arid regions

*xeric – dry more than 90 days and most for >180 days

*Ustic – mois.con dry>90 days, summer/uniform rain

*Udic – msc dry fr >90 days, optimum soil dev

*perudic – cooler or very high rainfall

*acquic – readox features (<2 chroma)bdiractly below A horizon is

INORGANIC

*Colluvial parent material – deposited by foot slopes

*Alluvial – dep by streams

*Marine – by oceans

*Lacustrine – lakes

*Till, Moraine – ice

*Outrash, lacustrine, alluvial, marine – by wind

ORGANIC

*Peatlands, waterlands – by lakes or river valleys

SEARCH!!!!

*9 land surface unit by Simon

*degree of weathering and soil development

*Entisols: AC-AC horizons

*Litologic discontinuity

*Vertisols – (a lot of cracks) contains activity clays that either swells or shrinks
*Aridisols – condition of the environment is dry

*alfisols – there is mild acid clay formation

*Molisols – high accumulation of organic matter

*Ultisols – strongly acid soils

*Spodosols – formed in cool climaye

Oxisols and ultisols are observed primarily in forest environment

Soil Surveying

*Albic

*cambic – important in the formation of B-horizon

ASSIGNMENT

Which of these are surface diagnostic horizon, and which one of these are sub-surface diagnostic
horizon?

MAKE-UP CLASS

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