Subject: Junior Cycle Geography

Teacher: Mr Lenehan
Week: Week 10
Lesson: Soils

10.0 Learning Intentions

• What soil is and how it is formed

• The different types of soil
• How soil and vegetation interact with one another.
• How people use and interact with soil.
• How we can sustainably use soil.

10.1 Specification

1.5. Explain how the processes of erosion, deposition and transportation shape our fluvial, marine and
glacial landscapes

9.2 Chief Examiner’s Report

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 10.3 Soil

What is soil?
Soil is a thin layer of material on the earth’s
surface.

It is where plants have their roots.

Soil is very important as plants use it as a food
source.

Humans use plants as a food source.

Soil ingredients

Soil is made up of 5 main ingredients: Make up of soil

1. Living organisms
2. Air
3. Water
4. Humus Soil
5. Parent Rock Composition

Parent Rock: (45%) The main ingredient in soil.

Made up of broken-down rock particles. It includes
rock, sand silt and clay.
Hum us Parent Rock Air Water Living organisms 4

Air: (25%) The spaces between particles of rock are

filled by air. Air provides oxygen and nitrogen which
plants need to grow. Living Organisms: (1%) Soil contains many
living organisms such as earthworms, fungi,
Water: (25%) Water dissolves minerals in soil. Plants insects, bacteria and burrowing animals.
then absorb minerals through water.
As they burrow through the soil, they allow air
Humus: (4%) A dark jelly like substance formed from and water to pass through it.
decayed animal and plant litter. Helps bind soil
together and provide nutrients.

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 Soil Profiles

O Horizon: The soil surface. Plant litter

falls here, this decays to form humus.

A Horizon: Topsoil, this has the highest

humus content and living organisms.

B Horizon: Subsoil, contains less humus,

made up of partially weathered parent rock.

C Horizon: Parent rock, consists of particles

of solid bedrock.

Leaching
As rain falls, water can wash nutrients from the
A horizon to the B horizon.

This is bad as plant roots are in the A horizon.

Sometimes, as a result of extreme rainfall,
minerals can build up at the bottom of the A
horizon.

These can be compacted together to form an

impermeable layer called a hard pan.

10.4 Revision activity Label the 4 layers

of a soil profile
Q 1. Explain what is meant by parent rock.

Q 2. List 5 ingredients that make up soil.

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 10.5 Soil formation

Soil formation
Soil formation is influenced by a number of factors.

1. Climate: Both rainfall and temperature can influence

soil formation.
In cold areas, freeze thaw action can result in thin soils
forming. In hot areas, chemical weathering breaks down
soils to form deep soils.
In wet areas, leaching can wash nutrients deep into soil,
making them infertile.

2. Parent Rock: Rock type influences soil formation.

Some rocks get weathered faster than others.
As a result, it takes soil longer to form in areas of hard
rock (granite).
Rock type also affects soil characteristics. Limestone
will create soils that are rich in nutrients.

3. Relief: Soils in upland areas are thinner due to mass

movement. They are also poorly drained and receive
heavy rainfall.
Soil in lowland areas are deeper, better drained and more
fertile.
They are also richer in humus as there is more plant litter.

4. Time: It can take around 400 years for one centimetre

of soil to form as the process is so slow.

5. Human activity: Ploughing, irrigation and fertilizers

can make soil more fertile.
Removing vegetation and overusing soil can also erode
soil, making it less fertile.

Soils in Ireland
Ireland has 4 main soil types.

Brown earth soils (Brown)

Podzols (Grey)

Gley Soils (Orange)

Peaty Soils (Black)

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 In detail: Podzol Soils

Colour
Grey

Where?
On the floors of coniferous forests in cold/west
areas.

Process
Coniferous forests have little plant litter therefore
little humus.
Cold, damp conditions mean there are few living
organisms.
Heavy rain causes leaching, creating a hardpan –
Infertile and acidic.

Location
Upland areas of Cork and Galway.

In detail: Brown Soils

Colour
Brown

Where?
Lowland areas once covered in deciduous trees.

Process
deciduous forests lots of plant litter meaning lots of
humus.
Humification of a plentiful supply of plant litter.
Rich humus levels and moderate rainfalls produces a
very fertile soil.

Location
Lowland areas throughout Ireland. Brown soils are
Irelands most common soils.

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 10.6 Revision activity

Q 1. List 5 things that influence soil formation

Q 2. Explain how human activity can influence soil formation.

Q 3. What conditions are needed for Brown soils to form?

Natural Vegetation and Soil

Vegetation and soil are interlinked

1. Deciduous trees provide soil with plant litter.

This helps to form brown soils that are rich in nutrients.

Coniferous trees provide little plant litter resulting in

infertile podzol soils.

2. Vegetation absorbs water and nutrients through its

roots.
This reduces the effects of soil leaching.

Vegetation protects soil by binding it together and

providing cover.
This prevents soil erosion.

3. Deep soils support the growth of deep-rooted plants

and trees, such as oak trees in lowland areas.

Areas with shallow soils are suited to the growth of

shallow-rooted plants.
These include pine trees and are often found in highland
areas.

4. Soils that are well drained support the growth of

vegetation.

Soils that are rich in nutrients, such as calcium and

nitrogen, are fertile and support the growth of a wide
variety of vegetation.

Soils that are less fertile can only support a limited

amount of vegetation.

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Human interference with soil
Deforestation
This is when trees are removed for economic purposes
and not replanted.

Removing trees removes plant litter, meaning soil

loses fertility.

Removing trees also exposes soil to the elements which

cause erosion, flooding and mass movement.

Over-cropping
This is when crops are continuously being planted on
the land.

As a result, nutrients are constantly removed from the

soil and exhausting the soil.

This is particularly common in poorer regions where

people cannot afford to rest their land.

Overgrazing
When vegetation is intensely grazed for long periods
of time by farm animals.

This destroys roots which means soils will be eroded

by wind and rain.

This is common in poorer regions.

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 10.7 Homework Correction

Q 1. Renewable energy is energy that can be used over and over again. Examples of renewable energy
sources include solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy.

Q 2. It is formed when sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are released into the atmosphere. These combine with water
vapour in the atmosphere. When condensation occurs, these gases will fall as acid rain.

A consequence of acid rain is that it makes soils acidic which causes leaching and makes them infertile.

Q 3. Make cars more energy efficient by placing higher taxes on cars that are not energy efficient. This will discourage
people from buying them and steer them more towards electric cars.

10.8 Homework task

Q 1. Explain how soil formation has been influenced by one of the following:
• Climate
• Vegetation
• Parent Rock
• Micro-organisms

Q 2. Describe one way humans can over exploit soil.

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