Soil is made of loose, weathered rock and organic material.

5 factors of Soil Formation Soil is formed by… Parent Material: the original “Mom & Pop” soil transported from elsewhere, usually by wind or water, at different speeds Climate: the amount, intensity, timing, and kind of precipitation that breaks down parts of ecosystem (i.e. rocks, trees) into soil Topography: Slope and Aspect affect the angle of the land and position toward/away from the sun that soil will be exposed to Biological: Plants, animals, microscopic organisms, and humans interact with soil in different ways Time: the amount of time it takes for the four factors (above) to interact with each other

SOIL CONSERVATION Did you know … It takes years to form 1 cm of sustainable soil. There are 1,000 – 500,000 bacteria and 1M- 20M actonomycetes

There are thousands of different soils throughout the world. Five important factors influence the specific soil that develops.

The main types of soil on earth are: –- Loess (pronounced “luss”): fertile soils developed on wind-blown glacial silt deposited during the Ice Ages. –- Laterites: red, iron oxide-rich soils of wet, hot tropical areas, created by intense chemical weathering of parent rock material. –- Pedalfers: rich soils with brown color, high in aluminum and iron; typical of cooler, wet temperate climates world-wide. –- Pedocals: soils typical of warm, arid regions; high in calcium and commonly contain caliche (white deposits of calcium carbonate) –- Tundra soils: soils forming in polar climates of permafrost (permanently frozen ground).

Soil Profile A Soil Profile is a vertical cross-section of layers of soil found in a given area.

Soil Horizon Soil horizons are the layers in a soil profile used to classify soil types. Horizons based on color, texture, structure, rock fragments, and any unique characteristic worth noting. Major Soil Horizons are depicted by a capital letter in the order (from top down): O, A, B, C, and R

O Horizon: Organic Layer “Organic Matter” Horizon Surface-layer, at depths of 0-2 feet Dark in color, soft in texture Humus - rich organic material of plant and animal origin in a stage of decomposition Leaf litter – leaves, needles, twigs, moss, lichens that are not decomposing Several O-layers can occur in some soils, consisting only of O- horizons

A Horizon: Topsoil “Topsoil” or “Biomantle” Horizon Topmost layer of mineral soil, at depths of 2-10 feet Some humus present, darker in color than layers below Biomantle - most biological productive layer; earthworms, fungi, and bacteria live this layer Smallest and finest soil particles

A Horizon: Topsoil This is generally the most productive layer of the soil. Conservation efforts are focused here!

B Horizon: Subsoils The “Subsoil” Horizon At depths of feet Rich in clay and minerals like Fe & Al Some organic material may reach here through leaching Plant roots can extend into this layer Red/brown in color due to oxides of Fe & clay

C Horizon: Transition The “Regolith” Horizon At depths of feet Made up of large rocks or lumps of partially broken bedrock Least affected by weathering and have changed the least since their origin

C Horizon: Transition This layer of transition is almost completely void of organic mater and is made up of partially weathered parent material.

Bedrock “Bedrock” Horizon At depths of 48+ feet Deepest soil horizon in the soil profile No rocks or boulders, only a continuous mass of bedrock Colors are those of the original rock of the area

USES OF SOIL Uses of Soil 1. Soil is used in agriculture. 2. Soil is used in constructions and arts. 3. Soil is used in Waste Management. 4. Soil is significant to the Environment. 5. Soil plays an important role in filtrating and purifying water.

SOIL CONSERVATION STRATEGIES Planting Vegetation Soil Organisms Terracing Crop Rotation/ multi-cropping Watering the Soil

MISUSE OF SOIL Inappropriate Infrastructure - bad site layout Occasional toxic exposure – producing the necrosis and decline of microorganisms Soil Loss – extraction, removal of topsoil; Wrong Cultivation methods – inadequate organic matter, humus should be 5% by volume Extended monocropping

Citations: rr+Soil+Degradation&source=bl&ots=L7CtmuDB5c&sig=RxMDT2H3khTjw40RG5D16 VBV8vY&hl=en&ei=CqdgS9fVOY_OsQP- 5sjBCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAwQ6AEwAA#v=onepa ge&q=&f=false rr+Soil+Degradation&source=bl&ots=L7CtmuDB5c&sig=RxMDT2H3khTjw40RG5D16 VBV8vY&hl=en&ei=CqdgS9fVOY_OsQP- 5sjBCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAwQ6AEwAA#v=onepa ge&q=&f=false f1b7687d94ca256f /$FILE/LC0063.pdf 0f1b7687d94ca256f /$FILE/LC0063.pdf 5. Read more: humans-cause-soil-degradation-and-how-does-impact-food-s#ixzz2HvBkThMGhttp://greenanswers.com/q/124177/nature-recreation/land-soil/how-do- humans-cause-soil-degradation-and-how-does-impact-food-s#ixzz2HvBkThMG