Laboratory Exercise No.

1
Soil Profile Examination
Lab Instructor: Dyana Rose T. Milleza, MSc

Soil 110 | Soils and Soil Management

What is
Soil
Soil
• living dynamic system
• forms between the interface of
atmosphere and lithosphere in response
to forces exerted by climate and living
organisms acting on parent material as
conditioned by topography/relief over a
period of time
Soil
• with time, a soil develops characteristics
which make it distinct from other soils in
other areas.
• this determine the suitability of a
particular soil to a certain land use (e.g.
residential use, crop production)
 Soil Profile
• vertical face of the soil
that can be exposed, for
example, by digging a pit
or in a road cut; includes
all the layers (horizons)
from the surface down to
the parent material.
Soil Horizon
• horizontal layer of the
soil
General Characteristics of the Major
Horizons (Master Horizons)
• O Horizon – horizon composed
of organic material

Oi – slightly decomposed
Oe – moderately decomposed
Oa – well decomposed
General Characteristics of the Major
Horizons (Master Horizons)
• A Horizon – horizons composed of mineral soil particles
but strongly darkened by humus or organic matter

Ap – plowed
Ah - humus
General Characteristics of the Major
Horizons (Master Horizons)
• E Horizon – horizons from which clay, iron, aluminum or
some combination of these have been eluviated (leached)
leaving a light-colored horizon (bleached horizon)

o usually found in soils developed from granite and

sandstones under pine forests in temperate regions
o formed between A and B horizons
 General Characteristics of the Major
Horizons (Master Horizons)
• B Horizon – horizon that form below an A, E or O horizon and
characterized by:

a) Concentration of clay, iron, aluminum, silica

b) Evidence of removal of carbonates
c) Coatings of sesquioxides that make horizon lower in value,
higher in chroma, or redder in hue overlying and underlying
horizons
d) Blocky structure
General Characteristics of the Major
Horizons (Master Horizons)
The most common B horizons in the country are:

• Bt (clay accumulation)
• Bw (structure formation)
General Characteristics of the Major
Horizons (Master Horizons)
• C Horizon – horizon that lacks the properties of O, A, E or B
horizons
o Partly weathered rock beneath the B, or unconsolidated rock

• R Horizon – solid bedrock, not practicably diggable by

spade
o Consolidated bedrock
1

4
2

3
Soil Properties used in Soil Profile
Description:
1. Soil Color
2. Soil Texture
3. Soil Structure
4. Soil Consistence
5. Soil pH
6. Reaction to H2O2
7. Abundance of Roots
Soil Color
•most obvious
and easily
determined soil
physical
property
Munsell Color System
•a standardized system used by soil
scientists and geologists
 Hue
- dominant spectral color

Value

- lightness or darkness

5YR 6/3
Light reddish brown

Chroma
- color purity or intensity
What are the factors that
influence soil color?
• Organic Matter
• Fe oxides
• Mn oxides
• Soil Moisture Content
• Calcium carbonates and salts
Organic Matter
• provides dark brown or
black color of the soil
• gives a low color value
• usually found on
surface layers
• masks all coloring
agents
Fe oxides
• provides red, yellow,
orange, and light
brown colors of the
soil
• primary coloring
agent of the subsoil
Mn oxides
• responsible for
black concretions
Soil Moisture Content
• soil color darkens as
the soil changes
from dry to moist
• Poorly-drained Soils
- blue-gray colors
• Well-drained Soils
- high chroma
Calcium carbonates and salts
• responsible for white
colors in soils
• abundance indicates
that the soil has high pH
or basic
Color notation: 10 YR 5/2
Identify the hue, the value, and the chroma.

Answer:
•Hue – 10 YR
•Value – 5
•Chroma – 2
Soil Texture
• fineness or coarseness of the soil
• the relative proportion of SAND, SILT, and CLAY

Soil Separates
= 100%
Effective Diameter
USDA
Soil Separates
Classification
Sand 2.0 – 0.05 mm
Silt 0.05 – 0.002 mm
Clay <0.002 mm
Field Method
• also known as feel
method
• used to provide “quick”
reliable estimates of soil
texture in the field
• enables immediate
interpretation of texture
down the soil profile
• less accurate
For this introductory exercise, you describe
the soil texture as:
1. Sandy – it does not make the finger dirty, is not
formable and feels gritty or very grainy
2. Silty - it makes the finger dirty but non-sticky. It
forms rough surface after squeezing between
fingers and it feels floury
3. Clayey– the soil, when moist, makes the finger dirty,
is cohesive, plastic and sticky; forms shiny surface
after squeezing between the fingers.
Particle Size Analysis
(done in the laboratory)
• Hydrometer Method
• Pipette Method
Textural Triangle
• describes the relative
proportions of sand, silt
and clay in various types
of soils
Soil Structure
• arrangement of primary sand, silt, and clay particles
into secondary aggregates called peds or structural
units which have distinct shapes and are easy to
recognize
Soil Structure
1. Weak – peds (or aggregates) are hardly
observable in place
2. Moderate – the peds are observable in place
and there is a distinct arrangement of
surfaces of weakness
3. Strong – the peds are clearly observable
and there is prominent arrangement of
natural surfaces
Soil Consistence
• degree of plasticity and
stickiness of the soil
• affected by the type and
amount of clay that is in
the soil
Soil Consistence
1. Sticky – the wet soil
adheres when pressed
between thumb and
finger.
2. Non-sticky – the wet
soil does not adhere
to the fingers
Soil pH
• a measure of acidity and
alkalinity (basicity) in soils.
• pH levels range from 0-14
where:
• Neutral (=7)
• Alkaline (>7)
• Acidic (<7)
• the optimal pH range for most
plants is between 5.5 and 7
Reaction to H2O2
This is a qualitative test for the organic matter content of
the soil
1. Weak – no visible effervescence
2. Moderate – visible effervescence
3. Strong – visible strong effervescence. Bubbles form
a foam
Size and Abundance of Roots
• The distribution of roots in the soil profile indicates how well
the soil supports the development of root system
• Size (Root Diameter)
Very Fine – less than 1.0mm
Fine – 1.0-2.0mm
Medium – 2.0-5.0mm
Coarse – more than 5.0mm
Size and Abundance of Roots
• Abundance (in terms of volume %)
Very few – less than 5%
Few – 5-15%
Common – 15-40%
Coarse – more than 40%
• Changes in size and abundance of roots are usually
related to changes in soil properties
Announcement!
• Wear your field attire
• Prepare for a quiz
• Bring the following:
o Marking Pen
o Plastic Bags
o Notebook