What is Soil?

(4-6)

Natural body consisting of layers (soil horizons) of

primarily mineral constituents that differ from the
parent materials in their:
• Texture
• Structure
• Consistence
• Chemical
• Biological
• Other physical characteristic
1 Introduction to Soil Science 1
Why are soils considered as a three state
system?

• Soil forms structures filled with pores -> Mixture of

solids, water (liquid) and air (gas)

1 Introduction to Soil Science 2

What are the basic soil functions according
to BBoSchG? (4)

• Regulation function
Water, nutrient and pollutant storage, supply and transformation
• Habitat function
Habitat for micro organisms, plants, animals and humans
• Cultural function
Archive of land forming processes and human activities
• Utilization function
Agriculture, forestry, engineering medium

1 Introduction to Soil Science 3

What is the Pedosphere?

• Outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of

soil and subject to soil formation processes. It exists
at the interface of the lithosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere and biosphere

1 Introduction to Soil Science 4

What are the soil components? (2+4)

• Solid material and soil pores

1 Introduction to Soil Science 5

Soil classification based on particle size: In
what range are sand, silt, clay?

1 Introduction to Soil Science 6

What is “soil texture”, what is loam?

• Proportion of particle size classes in a soil:

1 Introduction to Soil Science 7

What is “soil structure”?

• Spatial arrangement of sand, silt and clay particles

1 Introduction to Soil Science 8

How to read the soil texture triangle?

• (“Start with
clay and go
along a
turned
triangle”)

1 Introduction to Soil Science 9

How can the solid organic phase /soil
organic matter be classified?

• Three heterogeneous pools at different stages of

decomposition

1 Introduction to Soil Science 10

How is the gaseous phase of soil compared
to the atmosphere’s?

It is comparable but:

1 Introduction to Soil Science 11

What can you find in the liquid phase of
soils? (4)

Dissolved:
• Gases
• Ions
• Molecules
• Colloids

1 Introduction to Soil Science 12

Soil pores are filled with what?

• Either water or air

1 Introduction to Soil Science 13

What are the factors of soil formation?(5)

• Parent material
Geologic and organic precursors

• Climate
Temperature and precipitation
• Biota
Animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, humans
• Topography
Landform, position and aspect

• Time
Time since parent materials became exposed to soil forming processes

1 Introduction to Soil Science 14

What are the processes of soil formation? (4)

• Transformation
of rocks (weathering), organic matter (decomposition and
mineralization), soil structure (arrangement of particles)
• Small-scale translocation
by water, organisms
• Addition
of organic matter, dust, rising water (arid conditions), fertilizers,
manure (humans or animals)
• Loss
by erosion, leaching (humid conditions), gaseous losses,
harvesting (humans or animals)

1 Introduction to Soil Science 15

What do the letters of WRB classification
mean: H O A E B C R I L W? What would be a
simplified coil profile?

Water-logged = mit Wasser

gesättigt, duchtränkt 1 Introduction to Soil Science 16
1 Introduction to Soil Science 17