1. Soil
Objective: I will be able to explain what soil is and why it is important by creating an illustration

2. What is soil?
Material which nourishes and supports growing plants includes rocks, water, organic material and air.

3. How is soil formed? Rocks rubbing together for many, many years
Organic matter

4. What is our State……
Soil…..
Jory
Rock…..
Thunder Egg

5. What is a Thunder Egg
According to ancient Native American legend, when the Thunder Spirits living in the highest recesses of snowcapped Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson became angry with one another, amid violent thunder and lightning storms they would hurl masses of these spherical rocks at each other. The hostile gods obtained these weapons by stealing eggs from the Thunderbirds' nests, thus the source of the name "Thundereggs."
A Thunder egg is not actually a rock. It is a structure, sometimes a nodule, sometimes a geode,

6. Why is soil important?
It supplies water, nutrients, and a medium for plants
Acts as a filter

7. What are the functions of soil?
Plant medium
Recycling system for nutrients
Habitat for organisms
System for water supply
Water purification
Support foundation
Heat storage
Decomposes organic material
Buffer of toxic compounds to the environment
Source of raw materials
Gene pool
Source of history

8. Video iCEV Video soil formation and evaluation- important.

9. What are Soil Horizons?
As soils develop they form layers called Horizons.

10. O
O Horizon
Layer of accumulated organic matter such as leaves, grass, twigs
Material can be in various states of decomposition
Generally dark in color A E B C R

11. A Horizon Topsoil Generally it is the most productive horizon
High biological activity
Generally dark in color E B C R

12. E Horizon E Leached soils
Soluble minerals and organic material move out of this horizon
Generally a lighter “washed” appearance in color E B C R

13. O
B Horizon A
Less amount of parent material break down and organic matter.
Often more course fragments (rock visible)
Varies in color from reds and yellows to browns and grays E B C R

14. O
C Horizon A
The unconsolidated material that has been affected little by the soil forming processes
Course fragments present E B C R

15. R Horizon Hard bedrock 100% course fragments, also known as rock R O A

17. Video
iCEV video Soil Fertility and Productivity

18. Assignment
You will complete a soil profile on the left side of your notebook
You must have each horizon in your profile
Each horizon must be colored accordingly
Include characteristics of each horizon

20. Soil Differs in: Texture Color Structure Consistence
Fertility and Productivity

21. Soil Texture The way soil feels
Based on the relative proportions of each size of soil particle
Sandy loam, Silty loam, Sandy Clay loam
Soil texture is important because it influences many soil properties—drainage, water holding capacity, aeration, susceptibility to erosion, organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, pH buffering capacity, and soil tilth

22. Why is soil texture important?
Influences many soil properties
drainage, water holding capacity, aeration, susceptibility to erosion, organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, pH buffering capacity, and soil tilth

23. Soil Texture - Relative Sizes of Soil Particles
Sand ( mm)
Silt ( mm)
Clay (<0.002 mm)
Soil texture refers to the proportionate content of sand, silt, and clay fractions
Soil texture is an important soil property relating to infiltration, runoff, water holding capacity and nutrient availability
Topsoil texture is determined by the relative amounts of sand, silt, and clay particles in the topsoil. Sand particles are the largest and clay particles are the smallest. Silt particles are smaller than sand but larger than clay. At the contest, students will determine texture by feeling the topsoil. A sample of topsoil and water will be provided. In setting up the contest, the soil scientist will determine texture.
Soil Particle Size - The size of sand, silt and clay particles vary greatly in relation to each other. A grain of sand can be seen easily with the naked eye, while a clay particle can be seen only with a microscope. If a particle of sand were the size of a basketball, then a silt particle would be the size of a golf ball and a clay particle would be the size of a BB.

24. Sand Larger particles in the soil Can be seen with the naked eye
Not fertile
Quick to dry out and are doughy
Drain quickly

25. Silt Between sand and clay particles in size, medium size
Provide few nutrients to plants
Erode every easily
Moderate drainage

26. Clay Smallest of the soil particles Hold soil nutrients
Hold more moisture than either sand or silt
Dry out slowly
Become cloddy unless properly managed

27. What is loam? The Best of All Worlds
A soil type that contains all three particle sizes.
The most productive soil for farming crops
Has good water holding capacity (from clay)
Has good drainage (from sand)
Can be nutritious (from silt)
Good drainage is important so that air can reach root systems of plants

28. Soil Texture Lab
That person go get 1 of each of the bowls from up from (sand, Silt, and Clay)
Put the bowls in the center of the table
NO ONE TOUCH THEM OR THE LAB IS OVER!!!!
Once everyone is done another person bring the bowls back up from.
Wait until everyone is done

29. Copy down the following
Define the following words:
Clay
Sand
Silt
Using the cups filled with Sand, Slit, and Clay,
describe what you see, feel, hear, ect.
Sand
Silt
Clay

30. 12 Soil Texture Classes Sand (S) Loamy Sand (LS) Sandy Loam (SL)
Loam (L)
Silt Loam (SIL)
Silt (SI)
Sandy Clay Loam (SCL)
Silty Clay Loam (SICL)
Clay Loam (CL)
Sandy Clay (SC)
Silty Clay (SIC)
Clay (C)
The 12 soil texture classes have varying proportions of sand, silt, and clay. What is loam!!?? See next slide
Compositions of each of the 12 texture classes is defined by the USDA Soil Triangle

31. Soil Texture (paste in)
Soil texture refers to the proportionate content of sand, silt, and clay fractions.
For the FFA contest, soils are categorized into fine, medium, or coarse
Fine - A fine textured soil is smooth and sticky when wet. When balled in the palm of your hand, it holds its shape and shows finger marks. A long ribbon of soil can be formed by rubbing the soil between the thumb and fore finger.
Medium - A medium textured soil is a mixture of sand, silt and clay particles. It is between fine and coarse. The ball will show some finger marks and hold its shape. A short thick ribbon can be formed.
Coarse - Coarse textured soils are made up of mostly sand particles. Sand feels gritty and particles are large enough to be easily seen. The ball breaks in your hand and almost no ribbon can be formed.
Refer to the textural flow chart in the FFA Land Judging Manual to assist in textural classification.

32. Soil Triangle Problems

33. Using the Soil Triangle find the following soils:
Has to equal 100% at the end!!
Sand: 40%
Silt: 30%
Clay: 30%
Sand: 70%
Silt: 20%
Clay: 10%
Sand: 20%
Silt: 70%
Clay Loam
Sandy Loam
Silty Loam

34. Assignment
Soil Triangle problems