DEFINITION AND COMPOSITION OF SOIL

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

1. Define different terminologies related to soil science;
2. Identify the different composition of soil;
3. Recognize the essential nutrients elements, their forms and functions in soil.
4. Discuss the agricultural and non-agricultural uses of soil;
5. Recognize the history of soil science in the Philippines and the distribution of
soils in the country.

Teaching Learning Activities (TLA)

1. Lecture with discussion, power point presentation and guide questions;
2. Video presentation;
3. Assignments;
4. Laboratory Exercise: Identification of Soil Fractions: sand, silt and clay

Resources
1. Powerpoint presentation in:
a. Soil Edaphology and Pedology
b. Fields in Soil Science
c. Soil Composition
d. Mineral Matter Composition
e. Earth’s Crust Composition
f. Essential Nutrient Elements
2. Actual specimens of soil particles/ fractions
3. Handouts
4. References
5. LCD, laptop and speaker

Outcome-based Assessment (OBA)

1. Unit test
2. Laboratory report (using laboratory report rubric)
3. Reflection/ Research paper

Lecture Syllabus in Soil Science 1

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 DEFINITION AND COMPOSITION OF SOIL
Introduction
People are dependent on soils – and to a certain extent good soils are dependent upon people
and the use they make of them. Soils are the natural bodies on which plants grow. Society enjoys and
uses these plants because of their beauty and because of their ability to supply fiber and food for
humans and for animals. Standards of living are often determined by the quality of soils and the kinds
and quality of plants and animals grown on them.

TOPIC 1: WHAT IS SOIL?

SOIL defined as:
• A thin portion of the earth crust which is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials formed
from the weathering or rocks and minerals and whose properties are conditioned in various
degrees by the influence of climate, living
organisms (plants and animals) and relief
acting on the parent material over a period
of time.
• It serves as a medium for plant growth.
• Serve as a medium of plant growth
(physical support for anchorage of plant
roots, water and nutrient supplier)
• Considered a non-renewable resource
because it takes about a hundred years for
natural processes to form an inch of soil.
• A natural body with dimensions of
thickness and width with indistinct
horizontal boundaries enabling it to blend
with other soils and vertical boundaries of
the air above it and the unweathered rocks
below it.

SOIL SURFACE
• This term is based on the upper limit of soil
which is the boundary between soil and
either air, shallow water, live plants, or plant
materials that have not begun to
decompose.

SOIL INDIVIDUAL
Figure 1 Landscape, Polypedon and Soil Pedon
• PEDON
• A hexagonal column of soil measuring from 1 to 10 m2 in top surface area.
• The basic sampling unit used in soil surveys

• POLYPEDON
• An essential soil individual, comprising an identifiable series of soils in an area

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Soil defined: Edaphological and Pedological
• There are two approaches in studying soils

• PEDOLOGICAL APPROACH
• Greek: ‘pedon’- soil or earth
• Is the study of soils as they occur in nature with principal interest on
characterization and differentiation of their properties and with only minor
emphasis on their practical use
• Examples: Study of soils for their taxonomic classification; soil as a natural body

• EDAPHOLOGICAL APPROACH
• Greek: ‘edaphos’- soil or ground
• Is the study of soils with emphasis on their practical use, particularly the
relationship of soil properties to plant growth
• Examples: study of soil fertility; variability of soil productivity; methods of
conserving and improving productivity

TOPIC 2: FIELDS OF STUDY IN SOIL SCIENCE

• Soil Fertility
• Soil Physics
• Soil Chemistry
• Soil Microbiology
• Soil Conservation and Management
• Soil survey and Classification
• Soil Mineralogy
• Land Use

1. SOIL FERTILITY
• Study of the quality of a soil to provide optimum level on nutrients for plant growth

2. SOIL PHYSICS
• Deals with characteristics, properties or reactions of a soil which are caused by physical
forces and which can be described by equations

3. SOIL CHEMISTRY
• Study of the interactions of soil, liquid, and gaseous phases or components of soil.

4. SOIL MICROBIOLOGY
• Characterization of important groups of microorganisms in the soil and their role in the
physical and biochemical changes

5. SOIL CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

• Protection of the soil against physical loss by erosion or chemical deterioration
• Totality of all the tillage operations, cropping practices, fertilization, liming etc.

6. SOIL SURVEY AND CLASSIFICATION

• Deals with the structural characteristics, mode of origin and systematic arrangement of
soils.

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 7. SOIL MINERALOGY
• Deals with the structural chemistry of the solid components of soils.

8. LAND USE
• Deals with the allocation of land for general or broad purposes such as agriculture,
forestry, settlement and military reservations.

TOPIC 3: COMPOSITION OF THE SOIL

• The proportion of the different components varies in properties among soil.
• The four major components of a typical soil are:
1) Mineral matter (45%)
2) Organic matter (5%)
3) Air (20-30%)
4) Water (20-30%)

Figure 2 Volume composition of a silt loam surface soil when in good condition for plant growth. the air and water
in soil are extremely variable, and their proportions determine in large degree the soil's suitability for plant growth

SOIL SOLIDS
• MINERAL MATTER, 45%
• Comes from weathering of rocks and minerals
• Composed of sand, silt and clay particles vary among soils
• Major source of all nutrient elements (except nitrogen, carbon and oxygen) needed for
plant growth

• ORGANIC MATTER, 5%
• Derived from the decayed and decaying remains of plants and animals intimately mixed
with the mineral matter.
• The chief natural source of N; indicative of the N status of the soil.

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 • Also contributes P, S, and micronutrients but in smaller amounts compared to mineral
sources.
• Enables the soil to store cations.
• Promotes the formation and stabilization of aggregates, giving the soil greater
permeability and porosity.
• Organic soils contain more than 20% OM; most soils contain less than 20% organic
matter, thus classified as mineral soils.

PORE SPACES
• AIR, 20-30%
• Occupies the pore spaces of the soil
• Composed largely of elemental nitrogen (78%), oxygen (20%), carbon dioxide (0.5%),
and traces of other gases.
• Provides oxygen for respiration of plant roots
• For dryland or upland crops, it is deal that at least half of the pore spaces be occupied
by air.
• There must be enough aeration at the root zone for easy exchange of CO2 and O2
between the soil pores and the aboveground atmosphere so that CO 2 would not be
build up to high levels which can be toxic to plant roots.
• The carbon dioxide in soil air is typically higher in concentration than that aboveground
because of the accumulation from the CO2 evolution from organic matter
decomposition, plant root respiration, and reaction products of carbonate materials.

• WATER, 20-30%
• Also occupies the pore spaces of the soil
• Contains dissolved gases and salts of compounds as well as disassociated ions of
various nutrient elements.
• Carries the nutrients to the
proximity of roots where they can
be absorbed.
• Also serves as weathering agent of
minerals to constantly renew the
nutrient supply in the soil.
• Needed by the plant in large
amounts for their metabolic
functions.
• In paddy soils such as in lowland
rice fields, pore spaces are nearly
filled with water.
• The dissolve CO2 in soil water
forms carbonic acid which is a
solvent that can release nutrients
from minerals.

TERMS AND DEFINITION Figure 3 Soil Profile and Soil Horizons

1. Soil Profile
• The cross section of the soil from surface to bedrock showing the different soil horizons

2. Soil Horizons

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 • Layers of soil that are almost parallel to the surface with distinct range of properties
which different from the other layers

TOPIC 4: COMPOSITION OF THE MINERAL MATTER

• A casual examination of a sample of soil illustrates that the inorganic portion is variable in size
and composition.
• It is normally composed of small rock fragments and minerals of various kinds. The rock
fragments are remnants of massive rocks from which the regolith and, in turn, the soil have
been formed by weathering. They are usually quite course (Table 1). The minerals, on the
other hand, are extremely variable in size. Some are as large as the smaller rock fragments;
others, such as colloidal clay particles, are so small that they cannot be seen without the aid
of an electron microscope.

Table 1 Four major size classes of inorganic particles and their general properties
Size Common Means of Dominant
Illustration
fraction name observation composition

Rock
Very coarse Stone, gravel Naked eye
fragments

Primary
Coarse Sands Naked eye
minerals

Primary and
Fine Silt Microscope secondary
minerals

Mostly
Electron
Very fine Clay secondary
microscope
minerals

SOIL FRACTIONS (SAND, SILT AND CLAY)

• The clay fraction
• Consists of the most weathered particles
• Tends to consist of clay minerals
• Adsorbs and retains the most soil water
• Adsorb: bond to the surface of
• Most important in determining hydrologic
properties

• The sand and silt fractions

• Consist of less weathered, less reactive
particles Figure 4 Relative Soil Particle Size
• Retain less water
• Contain large amounts of quartz (SiO3), a stable, almost inert compound

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TOPIC 5: ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF THE EARTH’S CRUST

Figure 5 Average elemental proportions in Earth's crust, which is close to the average composition

Table 2 Average composition of elements in the Earth’s crust

Element Percent by Volume
Oxygen 46.60%
Silicon 27.72%
Aluminum 8.13%
Iron 5.00%
Calcium 3.63%
Sodium 2.83%
Potassium 2.60%
Magnesium 2.10%
Titanium 0.44%
Hydrogen 0.14%
Phosphorus 0.12%
Manganese 0.10%
Sulfur 0.05%
Fluorine 0.08%
Barium 340 ppm
Carbon 0.03%
Strontium 370 ppm
Zirconium 190 ppm
Tungsten 160 ppm
Vanadium 0.01%
Chlorine 0.05%
Rubidium 0.03%
Chromium 0.01%
Copper 0.01%
Nitrogen 0.005%
Nickel Trace
Zinc Trace

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TOPIC 6: THE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT ELEMENTS
• There are 16 nutrient elements that are considered essential for plant growth.
• The nine (9) elements termed as MACRONUTRIENTS (or major nutrients) are C, H, O, N, P,
K, Ca, Mg and S.
• The other seven (7), Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Mo and Cl, are called MICRONUTRIENTS (or trace
elements) because they are needed by plants only in very minute amounts.

Figure 6 The 16 Essential Elements Required for Plant Life

• Starting with the work of Liebig and other nineteenth-century scientists, research has shown
that certain elements are essential for plant growth and that each element must be present in
specific concentration range for optimum plant growth (Figure 7).

Figure 7 Relationship between plant growth and concentration in the

soil of elements that are essential to the plant

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 • If the concentration of a given element in the plant zone is too low, a deficiency of that element
occurs and plant growth is restricted. Likewise, if the root zone concentration of that element
is too high, toxicity occurs and plant growth is similarly limited. Only in a specific middle range
of concentration is optimum plant growth attained. One of the principal objectives of soil
scientists is to maintain concentrations of each element in the middle range.

WHY THE 16 ELEMENTS ARE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TO PLANTS?

▪ The 16 essential elements are so-called because of the following reasons:

1. Plants cannot complete their life cycle in the absence or lack of anyone of the nutrient
elements;
2. The nutrient is an integral part of the plant structure and/or participates in one or more
metabolic processes in the plant; and
3. No other element can substitute for that element if it is absent or lacking in supply. It’s
deficiency can be corrected by addition of that element

IONIC FORMS OF NUTRIENTS

Essential Nutrients
From soil, water, and air
Ionic Forms
Carbon C03-2, HCO3 , CO2
Hydrogen H+, OH-
Oxygen O2, OH-

Essential Nutrients
Primarily from soil: macro or major, secondary, and micro-metabolic or trace elements
Ionic Forms
Nitrogen NO3- , NH4+
Phosphorus HPO4-2, H2PO4-
Potassium K+
Calcium Ca+2
Magnesium Mg+2

Essential Nutrients
Ionic Forms
Sulfur SO4-2
Iron Fe+2 , Fe+3
Copper Cu+2 , Cu+
Zinc Zn+2
Manganese Mn+2 , MnO4-
Molybdenum HMoO4- , MoO4-2
Boron H3BO3, B4O7-2
Chlorine Cl-

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TOPIC 7: USES OF SOIL

AGRICULTURAL USES OF SOIL

Human societies depend on soil to grow food, fiber, timber, ornamental plants, and increasingly,
biofuels. Different agricultural uses require different soil management practices. Agriculture is an
umbrella term that traditionally includes agronomy and other farming enterprises, horticulture and
forestry.

1. Cropland
2. Grazing land
3. Forest
4. Landscape horticulture
5. Urban agriculture

NON-AGRICULTURAL USES OF SOIL

Other human activities – in addition to growing plants – requires soil. At its most basic, soil is a
surface that people inhabit. Specific non-farming soil uses include recreation and engineering
projects such as building foundations and waste disposal.

1. Recreation
2. Engineering
3. Waste disposal
4. Building materials

TOPIC 8: SOIL IN THE PHILIPPINES

BRIEF HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE OF SOIL SCIENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Philippine soil science owes its early development to the Americans. The first soil survey was
conducted by C. W. Dorsey an American soil surveyor in 1903. In 1921 a Division of Soil and
Fertilizer was created under the Bureau of Science which in 1934 was renamed as Division of
Soil Survey. In 1951, the Philippine Congress enacted Republic Act No. 622 organizing the
Bureau of Soil Conservation with Dr. M. M. Alicante as its first director (BSWM, 2008).
Teaching of soil science to students of agricultural science started as early as the 1920s at the
University of the Philippines College of Agriculture (UPCA). R. L. Pendleton an American from
California was one of the pioneer soil science instructors who taught from 1923 to 1935. Dr.
Pendleton was also an outstanding researcher as reflected by the about 50 scientific papers he
published (Pendleton, 1942; Carter, 1958).

Until about the 1960s, much of the work of soil scientists in the Bureau of Soil Conservation
(which became Bureau of Soils in 1957) was on soil survey and mapping of soil series in the
entire archipelago as well as in promoting soil conservation practices. Because of the major role
that soil science played in the green revolution, Philippine soil science enjoyed rapid
development in the 1970s and 1980s ("golden age") primarily due to the massive faculty
development at the University of the Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB) wherein young faculty
members were sent abroad primarily to the U.S.A. for graduate studies, and to the world class soil
research that was at the time brewing at the nearby International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
thanks
Lecture largely
Syllabus in to
SoilNyle C. 1Brady.
Science
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 NC Brady of Cornell University who taught at UPCA (now UPLB) as Cornell visiting professor after
the war returned to Los Banos in 1973 as the third director general of IRRI and remained there
until 1981. During Brady's time (and until now), many leading soil scientists from around the world
visited or conducted research at IRRI. Some of the internationally well-known soil scientists
who worked at IRRI included P.A. Roger (France), H.U. Neue and H.W. Scharpenseel
(Germany), F.N. Ponnamperuma (Sri Lanka), T. Yoshida and I. Watanabe (Japan), N. van
Breemen and F. Moormann (Netherlands), D.J. Greenland and G.J.D. Kirk (U.K.), R. Bloom
and P.A. Sanchez (USA), and S. Sombatpanit (Thailand). By establishing a world class soil
research at IRRI and through his soil science textbook (Nature and Properties of Soils), NC Brady
has undoubtedly had a major impact on the development of Philippine soil science.

At UPLB, some of the soil scientists who represented, or were product of, the "golden age" and
who became influential teachers included: R.B. Badayos (genesis, survey and classification); I.J.
Manguiat and E.S. Paterno (soil microbiology); G.O. San Valentin (soil mineralogy and soil
chemistry); A. A. Briones (soil physics) and E.P. Paningbatan (soil physics and soil
conservation); A.M. Briones, D.A. Carandang (soil chemistry); and C. P. Mamaril, H.P.
Samonte, W.C. Cosico (soil fertility). Two foreigners also spent a few years teaching soil science
at UPLB: Dr. S. Srinilta (soil physics) and Dr. U. Jones (soil fertility).

A special mention must be made of Nicolas L. Galvez, a highly trained and outstanding soil
scientist who took charge of developing the Soils Department and of training future Filipino soil
scientists at UPCA after the war. N.L. Galvez was the head of the Soils Department from 1948 to
1961 and served UPCA for 42 years. Without doubt, Dr. Galvez had the greatest contribution to
Philippine soil science. For this reason, he is widely considered as the "Dean of Filipino Soil
Scientists".

Outside UPLB, examples of soil scientists who also stood out during the 1980s and 1990s were
J.B. Dacayo of Central Luzon State University (CLSU), S.S. Magat of Philippine Coconut
Authority, R.G. Escalada of VSU who advised more than a hundred undergraduate thesis students
in agronomy and soil science, and N.B. Inciong of BSWM.

At present, there is a new generation of well-trained soil scientists, many of whom have obtained
advanced degrees from prestigious universities in Australia, Japan, Europe, and North America,
who are working at various universities, research centers, government agencies, and private
organizations throughout the country. Undergraduate/graduate degree programs in soil
science are now offered by several universities throughout the country the most important of which
are UPLB, CLSU, Benguet State University, Tarlac Agricultural University, and Central Bicol
State University of Agriculture in Luzon; Visayas State University or VSU (formerly called
ViSCA and LSU) in central Philippines; and University of Southern Mindanao and Central
Mindanao University in the southern part of the country. Survey, mapping, and soil fertility
evaluation of soils throughout the country are carried out by the Bureau of Soil and Water
Management based in Quezon City.
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 The soil science program at VSU in Baybay, Leyte, deserves a brief mention. Started in the late
1970s, the program has produced graduates who are now successful academics and scientists
not only in the Philippines but also in the USA, Europe and Japan. VSU soil scientists have also
produced high quality papers which have been published in various international journals. On
November 5, 2014, the VSU administration under President Jose L. Bacusmo created the
Department of Soil Science from the existing Department of Agronomy and Soil Science. In terms
of faculty strength, facilities, and scientific publication, VSU's Department of Soil Science is
widely considered as the country's leading soil science department at the moment.

Finally, Philippine soil science has clearly made major strides in the last three decades but it lags
very much behind those in other countries in terms of scientific outputs and professional activities.
This is even true for the ASEAN region alone. Regarding scientific outputs, very few papers have
been published by Filipino soil scientists in peer-reviewed international journals. In terms of
professional activities, the Philippine Society of Soil Science and Technology (PSSST) has not yet
been fully recognized by the International Union of Soil Sciences, the global organization of soil
scientists. So it cannot be seen in the global map of soil science. There is an increasingly popular
view among young soil scientists that basing the PSSST at the BSWM, a non-academic entity,
has stifled the development of the organization and of soil science in the country. First published
June 2009. Revised November 2016.

TOPIC 9: SOIL DISTRIBUTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

• The distribution of soils in the Philippines is largely controlled by parent material, relief, and
vegetation. In general, Philippine soils are younger than the tropical soils in mainland Asia,
Central and South America, and Africa. This is because most Philippine islands are
geologically young since they were the result of, just like much of Southeast Asia, recent
Cenozoic tectonic events and have emerged from the sea recently (Hall, 2002).
• Philippine soils maybe grouped based on geomorphology and for practical purposes, into: soils
in lowland areas, soils in young and unstable uplands, and soils in old and stable uplands.

Soils in Lowland Areas

• Lowland areas include all flatlands located near sea level. Most of these areas are underlain
by recent alluvial sediments. Because of this and due to periodic deposition of sediments
during flooding events, the soils in lowland areas are poorly developed.

a. Arenosols (Entisols). These are weakly developed sandy soils common in alluvial
plains and coastal areas.

b. Gleysols (Entisols, Inceptisols). These are the poorly developed wet soils in alluvial
plains and marshes. They are used chiefly for lowland rice production. Together with
Histosols, Gleysols are the dominant soils of wetlands.

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 c. Cambisols (Inceptisols). These are weakly developed soils showing poor horizon B
development. They occur in association with Gleysols although they can also be found
in mountainous areas.

d. Fluvisols (Entisols). These are the undeveloped soils commonly found along rivers.
Periodic deposition of river sediments retard soil development.

e. Vertisols (Vertisols). These are the clayey soils in lowland areas that produce large
cracks on the surface during the dry season. They are very fertile and are widely used
for lowland rice production. A typical example can be found in Mangaldan, Pangasinan.

f. Histosols. These are found in swamps, marshes, shallow lakes, and depressions. The
saturated condition favors the accumulation of organic materials. Large areas are found
in Leyte, Samar and Surigao.

Soils in Young and Unstable Uplands

• Uplands are undulating as well as hilly lands ranging in elevation from near sea level to about
1000 meters. Many upland areas around the country are the result of recent volcanic activity
or geologic uplift. These are young landscapes underlain by young volcanic deposits or reef
limestone and thus have also poorly developed soils.

a. Leptosols (Entisols, Inceptisols). These are the shallow soils (less than 50 cm
deep) in rocky areas. Many soils derived from limestone in various islands have very
thin solum and thus they belong to Leptosols.

b. Andosols (Andisols). These are the poorly developed soils on young volcanic
landscapes in the mountains of Negros, Leyte, Bicol, Taal and other volcanic areas of
the country. The soil is soft and very friable and appears dark due to the high organic
matter content. Except for their very low P availability, the properties of these soils are
generally favorable for crop production.

c. Chernozems (Mollisols). These are very fertile soils due to their organic matter-rich
topsoil. They can be found in limestone areas in Leyte, Bohol and other islands.

Soils in Old and Stable Uplands

• Old uplands were formed by volcanism or geologic uplift millions of years ago. They typically
occur on the lower slopes of volcanic mountains. Soils in these areas are well-developed or
highly weathered.

a. Ferralsols (Oxisols). These are the very deep, red, acidic and very infertile soils found
in old landscapes in Palawan, Mindanao, and Samar.

b. Acrisols and Alisols (Ultisols). These are the reddish, clayey, acidic soils widespread
in hilly and mountainous areas throughout the archipelago.

c. Luvisols (Alfisols). These are the well-developed soils with high base saturation
(fertile) found in old alluvial terraces in various areas in the Philippines.

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 ▪ Soil is a mixture of organic and inorganic materials formed from the weathering or rocks and
minerals and whose properties are conditioned in various degrees by the influence of climate,
living organisms (plants and animals) and relief acting on the parent material over a period of
time.

▪ Soil serves ecological functions that support life on earth, including supporting plant growth,
recycling and storing carbon and nutrients, purifying air and water. Soil supplies
anchorage, water and nutrients to the plant and oxygen to roots.

▪ People inhabit the soil surface and have both agricultural and non-agricultural uses of soil.

▪ Two approaches can be used in studying soils – pedology and edaphology.

▪ The proportion of the different components varies in properties among soil. The four major
components of a typical soil are: mineral matter (45%), organic matter (5%), air (20-30%)
and water (20-30%)

▪ Soil profile is the cross section of the soil from surface to bedrock showing the different soil
horizons which are layers of soil that are almost parallel to the surface with distinct range of
properties which different from the other layers

▪ There are four major size classes of inorganic particles – gravel, sand, silt and clay.

▪ There are 16 nutrient elements that are considered essential for plant growth which are
divided into two groups – macronutrients (C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) and
micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, B, Mo and Cl)

▪ The distribution of soils in the Philippines is largely controlled by parent material, relief, and
vegetation. In general, Philippine soils are younger than the tropical soils in mainland Asia,
Central and South America, and Africa.

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Direction: Answer and review the following

1. _______________ Percent mineral matter composition in typical soil.

2. _______________ The ionic form of sulfur in soils.
3. _______________ It consists of most weathered particles.
4. _______________ Layers of soil that are almost parallel to the surface with distinct range of
properties which different from the other layers.
5. _______________ Considered a non-renewable resource because it takes about a hundred years
for natural processes to form.
6. _______________ The ionic forms of carbon.
7. _______________ Derived from the decayed and decaying remains of plants and animals.
8. _______________ Composed of sand, silt and clay particles vary among soils.
9. _______________ Consist of less weathered, less reactive particles.
10. _______________ These are the undeveloped soils commonly found along rivers.
11. _______________The cross section of the soil from surface to bedrock showing the different soil
horizons.
12. _______________ It deals with the interactions of soil, liquid, and gaseous phases or components
of soil.
13. _______________ Study of soils for their taxonomic classification and soil as a natural body.
14. _______________ Deals with characteristics, properties or reactions of a soil which are caused
by physical forces and which can be described by equations.
15. _______________ The ionic forms of copper.
16. _______________ The basic sampling unit used in soil surveys.
17. _______________ Contain large amounts of quartz (SiO3), a stable, almost inert compound.
18. _______________ Deals with the structural characteristics, mode of origin and systematic
arrangement of soils.
19. _______________ He is one of the pioneer soil science instructors who taught from 1923 to 1935.
20. _______________ The study of soils with emphasis on their practical use, particularly the
relationship of soil properties to plant growth.
21. _______________ Deals with the allocation of land for general or broad purposes such as
agriculture, forestry, settlement and military reservations.
22. _______________ An essential soil individual, comprising an identifiable series of soils in an area.
23. _______________ The ionic form of magnesium.
24. _______________ and ______________ are the dominant soils of wetlands in the Philippines.
25. _______________ He known as the Dean of Filipino Soil Scientists in the Philippines.
26. _______________ Needed by the plant in large amounts for their metabolic functions
27. _______________ and ______________ are the ionic forms of molybdenum.
28. _______________ These are the reddish, clayey, acidic soils widespread in hilly and mountainous
areas throughout the Philippines.
29. _______________ Average composition of magnesium found in the earth’s crust.
30. _______________ He conducted the first soil survey in the Philippines.

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1. Provide and discuss about the following agricultural and non-agricultural uses of soil.
a. Cropland
b. Grazing land
c. Forest
d. Landscape horticulture
e. Urban agriculture
f. Recreation
g. Engineering
h. Waste disposal
i. Building materials

2. An individual plant depends on the soil for four needs. Discuss each of the following needs from
soil:
a. Anchorage
b. Water
c. Oxygen
d. Nutrients

3. An old acasia tree was planted near the college premise. When the nearby highway was
completely remodelled, rebuilt and widened, the health of the acasia tree declined over the years
and finally died. What factors might have led to its demise? Provide an explanation for this case.

4. Reflection: Is the need for maintaining good soil quality likely to increase or decrease in the
years to come? Explain your answer.

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Asio VB, PP Garcia, GAA Garcia. 2005. Development of a new soil map of Leyte. Unpublished
project report, VSU, Baybay, Leyte.

Asio VB. 1996. Characteristics, weathering, formation and degradation of soils from volcanic rocks in
Leyte, Philippines. Hohenheimer Bodenkundliche Hefte vol. 33, Stuttgart.

Barrera A, F Aristorenas, JA Tingzon. 1954. Soil survey of Leyte province, Philippines. Soil Survey
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Lecture Syllabus in Soil Science 1

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