Components of soils, Soil

profile, soil physical properties

Narayan Gouda
Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering and Technology,
CUTM, Parlakhemundi, Odisha, India
 Components of soils
• What is in soil? a) mineral b) biological, c) pore
space.
 Contd….
a) 40–50% mineral: Mineral soils are composed of three major constituents: sand, silt and clay.
i. Gravel, cobbles, stones, boulders
ii. Sand (0.05–2.00 mm)
iii. Silt (0.002–0.05 mm)
iv. Clay ( < 0.002 mm)
b) 0–10% biological
i. Flora and fauna
ii. Live and dead (organic matter)
iii. Macroscopic and microscopic
c) ~50% pore space
Pore space consists of the “empty” spaces in the soil. While this might seem to make the pore
space
unimportant, in reality it is a very important part of the soil. Pore space might be filled with one
of two
things:
i. Air
ii. Water
• The relatively inert sand and silt fractions can
be called the ‘Soil Skeleton”, while the clay, by
• analogy, can be thought of as the “Flesh” of
the soil.
 Nature and Properties of Soil Separates

• Stones, cobbles and Gravel: Because of their sizes, function as separate

particles. Stones, cobbles and gravel may be more or less rounded, irregularly
angular or even flat.
• Sand:
• Sand particles may be rounded or irregular with quite jagged surfaces
depending on the abrasion they receive.
• These particles exhibit no plasticity and stickiness and hence less influenced by
changes in moisture content.
• Their water holding capacity is low, percolation rate is high and facilitate good
drainage and good air movement.
• Soils dominated by sand and other particles bigger than sand are invariably
open, loose and in friable condition.
• As these fractions are the fragments of the rocks with quartz as chief
component, they are chemically inactive and insoluble.
 Silt
• Silt is intermediate between sand and clay in size (ISSS – 0.02
– 0.002 mm; USDA – 0.05 – 0.002 mm) and irregular in shape.
• Mineralogically and physically, silt particles greatly resemble
sand particles, but since they are smaller and have a greater
surface area per unit mass and are often coated with strongly
adherent clay, they may exhibit some of the physico-chemical
attributes of clay.
• Silt is dominated by quartz and micas like primary minerals;
and posses some plasticity, cohesion and adsorption.
• They hold moisture but lesser than clay.
 Clay
• Clay fraction is less than 0.002 mm in size and forms the
decisive fraction of the soil, which has most influence on
soil behaviour.
• Clay particles are characteristically plate like or needle like
in shape.
• Clay particles adsorb water and hydrate, thereby causing
the soil to swell upon wetting and then shrink upon drying.
• They are very plastic and sticky in moist condition; and
become hard and cloddy when dry. High tenacity
(firmness) of clay makes the cultivation difficult.
 Function of Clay
• An "ideal" soil is generally defined as a soil composed of a mixture of
sand, silt and clay - all of which have their unique effect on the chemical
or physical aspects of the soil.
• The clay fraction performs a very useful function in soils, and should be
considered a complimentary component of the soil.
• In addition to enhancing the nutrient and water holding capacity of
soils, clay acts as a binding agent in the soil, thereby, bringing about a
sort of stability in the soil.
• Without this "binding" agent, many sandy soils would have very limited
agricultural value.
• Since the clay fraction accounts for much of the chemical reactivity in
soils, it is beneficial in its effects on texture, structure, and
consequently, fertility status of a soil.
 Soil horizons

• Soils consist of one or more distinct layers called horizons. If a vertical cut is made
in a soil, several layers, or horizons, can be viewed.
• The differentiation of horizons is the result of many soil-forming processes.
• The most important are
(1) physical breakdown of particles,
(2) leaching of salts that are more or less soluble,
(3) accumulation of organic matter,
(4) chemical weathering of primary minerals and the formation of silicate clay
minerals
(5) translocation of silicate clay minerals from one horizon to another by percolating
water, and
(6) accumulation of some iron colloids.
Some of these processes take place in all the soils, but the number of active
processes and the degree of their activity vary from one soil to another.
 Contd…….
• These layers are referred to as O, A, E, B, C and R depending on their position and nature.

• O: The O horizon is an organic layer above the mineral soil that consists of fresh or partially decomposed organic
material and is most common in forested soils.

• A: It usually has more organic carbon than underlying layers and is the horizon most impacted by biological and
human activity. Sometimes this layer is missing or truncated due to erosion or removal. Also, all surfaces resulting
from plowing, pasturing, or similar disturbances are referred to as A horizons. It usually has the highest percentage of
SOM, which often results in it being darker in color than the rest of the profile.

• E: Horizon characterized by eluviations (removal of materials such as silicate clay, iron, aluminum, or organic
matter), if distinct from the A horizon. Frequently not present (usually not present in grassland/agricultural soils).
Usually more pale colored than the A horizon.

• B: This is dominated by destruction of all or much of the original rock structure and which shows evidence of soil
formation such as illuvial (moved down from an above horizon) concentration of silicate clay, iron, aluminum, humus,
carbonates, gypsum, or silica; development of soil color or structure; or brittleness, etc. Material from the A (or E)
horizon, such as clay and carbonates, leach downward and accumulate in the B horizon.

• C: Horizons or layers, excluding hard bedrock, which is little, affected by pedogenic (soil forming) processes and that
lack properties of O, A, E or B horizons.

• R: Hard bed rock

Any Doubts