1. Soils NOT Just Dirt By: Rebekah Triolo

2. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

3. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

4. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

5. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

6. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

7. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

8. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

9. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

10. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

11. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

12. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

13. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

14. Defining Soil “a natural body consisting of layers (horizons) of mineral and/or organic constituents of variable thickness, which differ from parent material in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties and their biological characteristics” – Birkeland, 1999; Joffe 1949

15. Why not Dirt? Soil is a living environment Has nutrients Earthworms and insects Diverse Bacteria Layers

16. Soil Importance Medium for plant growth Water purifier Facilitates waste decomposition

17. Plant Growth

18. Water Purification Natural filtration Chemical absorption and adsorption Living organisms Human interaction and manipulation of soils can interrupt the process of natural water purification.

20. How Soils Form There are multiple processes happening at the same time to allow soil to form. Pedogenic regimes Soil succession Clay factories Complexity Energy

21. Average Soil Sample Contains

22. Soil Horizons Basics O – Organic: leaf litter and humus A – Topsoil: seeds germinate and plant roots grow, made of humus and mineral B – Subsoil: clay and mineral deposits C – Regolith: slightly broken up bed rock, plant roots cannot break through

23. Categorizing Soil Color Texture Structure Porosity Density Temperature Moisture

24. Color Munsell System quantitatively measures differences in color characteristics It measures – Hue: yellow, red, blue, green – Value: high value= light colored, low value = dark colored – Chroma: purity of color, high chroma = pure color, low chroma = less pure

25. Texture Evaluating particle size

26. Too Much Sand Soils with lots of sand have to much space between particles. This makes it hard for them to hold water or any nutrients. Plant’s roots cannot hold well.

27. Too much Silt Soils with too much silt is very light. Commonly found in flood plains and is the components of soil that makes mud. Lots of silt makes excellent farmland, but increase erosion. This is that part of soil that blows away in sand storms

28. Too Much Clay Soil with too much clay is heavy and dense. There is almost no space between the particles. Bacteria and microorganisms in the soil cannot get oxygen. Plant roots cannot push through.

29. That’s Just Right LOAM Perfect soil for plants has about equal parts sand and silt with less clay. There is large enough space between particles for air, water, and nutrients. There should be enough clay to help stick together.

30. Structure Effected By: Chemicals Biological activity Soil use Water content Overburden

31. Structure vs. Texture

32. Porosity Fraction of void space in the material Can contain water or air

33. Density Less dense More Dense

34. Temperature Becomes important with seed germination and crop growth – Minimum temperature – Optimum range of temperature – Optimum temperature – Maximum temperature Measured with thermometer placed 3 to 4 inches into the ground

35. Moisture

36. Chemicals in Soils pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of soil – Neural = 7.0 – Acidic < 7.0 – Alkaline > 7.0 Effects solubility of plant nutrients Soils normally range from 3.0-10.0 pH Most cultivated plants like slightly acidic soil