SOILS

Great civilizations began because of farming Great civilizations began because of farming ... good soil and fresh water is needed for farming Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies are great examples

Egyptian civilization grew up around the fertile Nile River and its Delta The Sahara Desert, which has poor sandy soil, doesn’t have very many people living there because the people can’t grow things in the soil. 90% of Egypt’s population lives with 20 km of the Nile River or its delta.

Toronto is Canada's economic, political and cultural powerhouse, it started as a farming centre 51% of Canada's good farmland can be seen from the top of the CN tower; most of it is paved or built on

Where is soil? What is soil made of?

Soil A true soil consists of 4 main parts: 1) Minerals 2) Bacteria and organic material 3) Air 4) Moisture

2. BACTERIA and ORGANIC MATERIAL Soil is made up of four (4) main parts: 1. MINERALS: come from broken up rock, which is called parent material minerals provide nutrients to plants 3. AIR need air around roots of plants air holes are created by worms, insects, small animals 4. MOISTURE water dissolves nutrients (makes them like a liquid) so they can be taken up by plants helps to break down rock and decay organic material 2. BACTERIA and ORGANIC MATERIAL partly decomposed plants and animal material forms humus, which provides nutrients

Soil Profile Soil is made up of distinct horizontal layers; these layers are called HORIZONS

O Horizon: Mostly leaf litter and humus (decomposed organic matter). A Horizon topsoil; Seeds germinate and plant roots grow in this dark-colored layer.

What does Humus look like? O Horizon: Organic Material

What does Topsoil look like? A Horizon

E Horizon light in color. made up mostly of sand, having lost most of its minerals and clay as water drips through the soil (in the process called eluviation).

B Horizon C Horizon Subsoil Contains clay and mineral deposits (like iron) that it receives from layers above it when mineralized water drips from the soil above. C Horizon Also called regolith Consists of slightly broken-up bedrock.

What does Subsoil look like? B Horizon

R Horizon Unweathered rock (bedrock) layer that is beneath all the other layers

Chernozem Soil Podzol Soil

Soils in Ontario

Soil in P.E.I.

Now it is time to make your own soil profile…. 

Create your own profile and SHOW ME before you eat it