1. Ch.2.  Soil: Where the spheres coexist & interact (having interfaces of different spheres) Subject of many study fields, including environmental sciences Different definitions by different study fields  In this course, we simply define it as “the unconsolidated material on the Earth’s surface”

2.  Importance of soil Most agricultural production (producing foods!) relies on it Home of many life forms, consequently, essential part of the balance among the ecosystems on Earth Big buffer against the environmental impacts (natural attenuation) So many (our) activities would not be possible to occur without soil Others

3. From http://www.soilfoodweb.com/sfi_approach1.html

4. From http://www.threer.co.uk/services_remediation_natatten.php

5.  Classification of soil Genetic classification: zonal, intrazonal, azonal soils Engineering classification: based on the constituent’s grain size and their composition Classification with taxonomy ○ Order > Suborder > Great Group > Subgroup > Family > Series

6. From http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/soils-and-land-use/4 Distribution of zonal, intrazonal, and azonal soils in North Island, New Zealand

7. Soil classification with the grain compositions From http://www.oneplan.org/Water/soil-triangle.asp

8. Unified soil classification system (USCS) From http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/classes/geol552/seddescription.htm

9. From http://www.soils.wisc.edu/courses/SS325/soiltaxonomy.htm

10. From http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/krubin/gg425- sched.html 10 Soil Orders

11. From http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/library/maps/Circumpolar/classification.html

12.  Characteristics (Properties) of soils are determined by Climate, Topography, Parental rock, and Vegetation and other biological activities

13. From http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/krubin/gg425-sched.html Climate & soil

14. Topography & soil From http://www.siera104.com/Soils/index.html From http://www.soil-net.com/legacy/advanced/soil_formation4.htm

15. Soil properties affected by parent materials From http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/dairy/pastures-management/fertilising-dairy-pastures/chapter-3

16. From http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0716-078X2003000300003&lng=en&nrm=iso&ignore=.html Influence of vegetation on soil properties (KELLY L.M. DECKER & R.E.J. BOERNER Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 76: 371-381, 2003 )

17.  Soil profile: Characteristics of vertically developed layers parallel to the surface (horizons) From http://www.fao.org/Wairdocs/ILRI/x5546E/x5546e04.htm

18. From http://quakeinfo.ucsd.edu/~gabi/erth15-06/Lecture24.html

19. From http://www.saburchill.com/lab/field/field02.html From http://ecoclublive.blogspot.com/2011/01/soil.html From http://ncealevel2sci.wikispaces.com/Fertilizers