RESEARCH PROPOSAL

BENEFITS OF LAND AND ITS

ROLE IN LIFE

Grade 9
Arranged by :
 Safina Raisa R
 Shabrina Luthfia S
 Ayesha Sekar P
 Andini
 Siti N

Jakarta 180th Junior High School

Academic year 2018/2019
 Validity Sheet

The scientific project This science project entitled "land benefits" has been
examined and agreed upon
Day and Date: Friday, February 11, 2019
Approved by:

Supervisor 1 Supervisor 2

RATNA SARI S,Hut. JUNIAR PANGARIBUAN

NIP 197505232008012007 NIP 196305211985032003

The Headmaster of Jakarta 180th Junior High School

ETIN ROHAETIN,M.Pd.
NIP 196911201992032009
PREFACE
Our gratitude to God Almighty who has given His blesses to the writers for finishing the
task of proposal is titled “Benefits of land and its role in life.” The writers also wish to
express his deep and sincere gratitude for those who have guided in completing this
paper.
It is expected that this proposal can run properly and in accordance with the objectives.
Besides, criticism and suggestions that build the writers are expected from readers so
that this proposal can be better.

Jakarta, February 5, 2019

Writers,

Shabrina Luthfia S.
The group leader
Chapter 1
Preliminary
Soil is part of the earth's crust which is composed of organic materials and
minerals. The existence of land is very important for the life of all beings on
earth. Land is a place of life for various types of microorganisms that exist
on earth. In addition, land has an important role in plant life, namely as a
provider of nutrients, storing water for plants, and as a place to grow and
develop roots that support the uprightness of plants.
In climatology, land has a role as a place to store water and prevents
erosion. Despite the fact, land also often experiences erosion. Floods and
landslides have caused soil erosion or erosion of land by water. This
certainly has an impact on reduced soil fertility and erosion of soil layers
from the surface of the earth. Seeing the importance of the role of the land
and the danger of soil damage, some efforts need to be made to preserve
the land.

Research Purposes
1. To know the important role of soil.
2. To find out the definition of soil.
3. To find out the type of soil.

Research Methods
1. Searching for information sources on the internet
2. Visiting the school library
3. Visiting Rice field
Time table
Date: February 1-28, 2019
Information Date and time
Group discussion February 1-3, 2019
Arranging proposal February 4-6, 2019
Proposal revisions and completion February 7-11, 2019
Visiting the school library February 12, 2019
Searching for information sources February 13-15, 2019
on the internet
Going to the rice field February 16, 2019
Arranging proposal February 17-28, 2019
Reporting revision March 20, 2019
Submiting report results March 21, 2019

Participants
 Shabrina Luthfia S
 Ayesha Sekar P
 Safina Raisa R
 Andini
 Siti N
 Theoretical and discussion foundation

Definition of Land
Land is part of the earth's crust which is composed of minerals and organic matter. Land
is one of the supporters that helps the lives of all living things on earth. Soil supports the
life of plants that provide nutrients and water on the earth. In addition, land is also home
to various microorganisms on earth. In terms of climatology, soil has an important role
as a store of water and prevents erosion.
Chemically functions as a warehouse and supplier of nutrients (simple organic and
inorganic compounds and important elements). And biologically functions as a habitat
for biota that actively participate in the supply of nutrients and additives (growth
boosters, protection) for plants, all of which are integrally capable of supporting soil
productivity to produce biomass and production of food crops, medicinal plants,
industrial plantations, and forestry.
The soil is formed from the weathering process of rocks aided by organisms forming a
unique texture that covers the surface of the earth. The process of forming this land will
form layers that cover the entire surface of the earth. The formed layer has a different
texture and each layer will reflect the physical, chemical, and biological processes that
have occurred during the formation process. Hans Jenny (1899-1992), a Swiss soil
expert who worked in the United States, said that the land was formed from parent
material that had undergone weathering due to the dynamics of climate factors,
organisms (including humans), and relief from the earth's surface (topography) along
with time.

Type of soil
Indonesia is a country that has various types of land. There are many types of land that
can be found in Indonesia with their own characteristics. The following are some types
of land in Indonesia.

Organsol Soil
This type of soil comes from weathering or decay of organic parent material from
swamp forest. Land in swamp forest has characteristics and properties in the form of
clear horizon differentiation. Another feature is having a thickness of more than 0.5 m,
brown to blackish, textured, unstructured clay dust, and consistency that is not sticky
and rather sticky. Generally this soil is very acidic (pH = 4.0) and has a low nutrient
content.
Litosol soil
Litosol is a mineral soil with little profile development. The main rock is igneous rock that
comes from the results of volcanic eruptions and sedimentary rocks that undergo the
weathering process. This land has a shallow soil solum (<30 cm). Litosol soil has a
variety of textures. In general, this land is sandy and unstructured. Besides that it
contains a lot of stones, gravel, and has a varied fertility rate.

Latosol soil
This type of soil has developed. This type of soil includes those that have very thick soil
solums (Land solum is the depth of the soil layer from the surface to the soil parent
material. Soil solum cannot be engineered, because the depth of the soil solum is very
dependent on the development of the soil, so that the soil solum is a permanent factor).
Generally having a clay texture, the crumb structure becomes thick, loose to a slightly
hard consistency, and has a brown, red to yellow color. Latosol soil is spread in wet
climates that have rainfall> 300 mm / year, heights range from 300-1000 m, volcanic
materials, breccia rocks, and intrusive igneous rocks.

Hydromorphous Gray Soil (Gleisol)

This type of soil is influenced by local factors, namely topography which is a lowland or
basin. This type of soil is almost always flooded and has a medium soil solum. Other
characteristics are gray to yellowish, texture to clay and clay, muddy to massive
structure, sticky consistency, and acidity (pH 4.5 to 6.0).

Grumusol soil
This type of soil comes from limestone, mergel, and plates, which are alkaline, so there
is no organic activity in them. Grumusol is a mineral soil that has a development profile
and is rather thick. This soil has a heavy clay texture, granular structure in the upper
layer and thick to dense in the lower layer. Grumusol soil has a low organic content. The
deeper the soil layer the less organic content there is.
Soil properties
All soils contain mineral particles, organic matter, water and air. The combinations of
these determine the soil’s properties – its texture, structure, porosity, chemistry and
colour. Relative size of sand, silt and clay particles. Soil is made up of different-sized
particles. Sand particles tend to be the biggest. Clay particles are very small – less than
0.002 mm.

Soil texture
Soil is made up of different-sized particles. Soil texture refers to the size of the particles
that make up the soil and depends on the proportion of sand, silt and clay-sized
particles and organic matter in the soil. Sandy soils feel gritty when rubbed between
your fingers. Silts feel smooth – a little like flour. Most clays are sticky and moldable. If
you’ve ever used pottery clay, you’ll know the feeling. Soils are made up of different
combinations of sand, silt and clay particles. Soils that are a mixture of sand, silt and
clay are called loams. The name of the soil often identifies the dominant particle,

Soil formation
Soil texture can influence whether soils are free draining, whether they hold water and
how easy it is for plant roots to grow. Sand particles are quite big. The pore spaces
between the particles in sandy soils are also quite large. This allows water to drain
quickly and air to enter the soil. Sandy soils tend not to get waterlogged in winter but
can be subject to drought during summer. Silt particles are too small for us to see with
our eyes. Silt soils have much smaller pore spaces but a lot more of them.
Clay particles are smaller than 0.002 mm in diameter. Clay soils are poorly drained and
hold on to the water in their pore spaces for much longer. However, they can become
very hard if they dry out.

Soil structure
Soil structure describes the way the sand, silt and clay particles are clumped together.
Organic matter (decaying plants and animals) and soil organisms like earthworms and
bacteria influence soil structure. Clays, organic matter and materials excreted by soil
organisms bind the soil particles together to form aggregates. Soil structure is important
for plant growth, regulating the movement of air and water, influencing root development
and affecting nutrient availability. Good quality soils are friable (crumbly) and have fine
aggregates so the soil breaks up easily if you squeeze it. Poor soil structure has coarse,
very firm clods or no structure at all.
Soil porosity
Soil porosity refers to the pores within the soil. Porosity influences the movement of air
and water. Healthy soils have many pores between and within the aggregates. Poor
quality soils have few visible pores, cracks or holes. The way in which a soil is managed
can affect its porosity. For example, look at areas around your school where students
regularly walk. If the grass is worn away and the soil is exposed, it often looks different
because it has been compacted and has had its structure and porosity altered. These
are also areas where puddles form because the water is not able to drain away.

Soil chemistry
Clays and organic matter in the soil carry negative charges. Water in the soil dissolves
nutrients and other chemicals. Nutrients like potassium and ammonium have positive
charges. They are attracted to the negatively charged organic and mineral matter, and
this prevents them from being lost through leaching as water moves through the soil.
Nitrate has a negative charge so it is not protected from leaching in most soils.
Soils can be acid, alkaline or neutral. Soil pH influences nutrient absorption and plant
growth. Some plants, like kumara and potatoes, grow best in a more acidic soil (pH of
5.0–6.0). Carrots and lettuces prefer soils with a neutral pH of 7.0. Soils can become
more acidic over time as minerals are leached away. Lime is often added to soil to
make it less acidic. New Zealand paddocks are regularly limed to improve pasture
growth.

Soil colour
Soil colours range from black to red to white. Sometimes it can even be blue. Soil colour
mostly comes from organic matter and iron. Topsoil is often dark because of organic
matter. An even, single colour indicates the soil is well drained. In contrast, rusty spots
and grey patches (sometimes even a light blue in colour) indicate poor drainage.

Important role of land for life

Land plays an important role in life, this is caused because :
 Used for living quarters and places to do all human activities.
 As a place for developing animals that are very useful for humans.
 As a place for vegetation that is very useful for the benefit of human life
 Contains mining goods and minerals that are useful for humans.
 Providing primary needs for water plants, air and nutrients.
  Provider of plant secondary needs (growth-promoting substances: hormones,
vitamins, and organic acids; antibiotics and toxins anti-pests; enzymes that can
increase nutrient availability).
 As a habitat for soil biota, whether it has a positive impact because it is directly or
indirectly involved in providing the primary and secondary needs of the plant, as
well as those that have a negative impact because it is a plant pest & disease.

Land has many benefits in life. The most common benefit of soil is as a medium for
growing plants. of course land has applicable terms and conditions that must be met.
Some other benefits of soil are as follows.
 Place to grow and develop roots.
 Provider of plant primary needs (water, air, and nutrients).
 Provider of plant secondary needs (growth-promoting substances: hormones,
vitamins, and organic acids; antibiotics and toxins anti-pests; enzymes that can
increase nutrient availability).

Soil Pollution
Soil pollution occurs when the presence of toxic chemicals, pollutants or contaminants
in the soil is in high enough concentrations to be of risk to plants, wildlife, humans and
of course, the soil itself. Arable land is turning to desert and becoming non-arable at
ever-increasing rates, due largely in part to global warming and agricultural fertilizers
and pesticides, lessening the hope that we can feed our booming population.
Within 40 years, there will be over 2 billion more people, which is the equivalent of
adding another China and India. Food production will have to increase at least 40% and
most of that will have to be grown on the fertile soils that cover just 11% of the global
land surface. However, there is little new land that can be brought into production and
existing land is being lost and degraded.
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization states that annually, 75 billion
tons of soil, the equivalent of nearly 10 million hectares, which is about 25 million acres,
of arable land is lost to erosion, water-logging and salinization and another 20 million
hectares is abandoned because its soil quality has been degraded.
Contact with contaminated soil may be direct, from using parks, schools etc., or indirect
by inhaling soil contaminants which have vaporized or through the consumption of
plants or animals that have accumulated large amounts of soil pollutants, and may also
result from secondary contamination of water supplies and from deposition of air
contaminants.
Causes of Soil Pollution
The redundant, ever-increasing use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides,
insecticides and fertilizers is one of the main factors causing soil pollution by increasing
its salinity making it imperfect for crop bearing and adversely affecting the
microorganisms present in the soil, causing the soil to lose its fertility and resulting in
the loss of minerals present in the soil, thus causing soil pollution and killing off more
than just the intended pest.
Other types of soil contamination typically arise from radioactive fallout, the rupture of
underground storage tanks, percolation of contaminated surface water to subsurface
strata, leaching of wastes from landfills or direct discharge of industrial wastes to the
soil, unfavorable and harmful irrigation practices, improper septic system and
management and maintenance, leakages from sanitary sewage, acid rain falling onto
the soil, fuel leakages from automobiles, that get washed away due to rain and seep
into the nearby soil and unhealthy waste management techniques, which are
characterized by release of sewage into the large dumping grounds and nearby streams
or rivers.

Effects of Land Pollution

Soil pollution
Soil pollution is another form of land pollution, where the upper layer of the soil is
damaged. This is caused by the overuse of chemical fertilizers, soil erosion caused by
running water and other pest control measures; this leads to loss of fertile land for
agriculture, forest cover, fodder patches for grazing etc.

Change in climate patterns

The effects of land pollution are very hazardous and can lead to the loss of ecosystems.
When land is polluted, it directly or indirectly affects the climate patterns.

Environmental Impact
When deforestation is committed, the tree cover is compromised on. This leads to a
steep imbalance in the rain cycle. A disturbed rain cycle affects a lot of factors. To begin
with, the green cover is reduced. Trees and plants help balance the atmosphere,
without them we are subjected to various concerns like Global warming, the green
house effect, irregular rainfall and flash floods among other imbalances.
Effect on human health
The land when contaminated with toxic chemicals and pesticides lead to problem of skin
cancer and human respiratory system. The toxic chemicals can reach our body through
foods and vegetables that we eat as they are grown in polluted soil.

Cause Air pollution

Landfills across the city keep on growing due to increase in waste and are later burned
which leads to air pollution. They become home for rodents, mice etc which in turn
transmit diseases.

Distraction for Tourist

The city looses its attraction as tourist destination as landfills do not look good when you
move around the city. It leads to loss of revenue for the state government.

Effect on wildlife
The animal kingdom has suffered mostly in the past decades. They face a serious
threat with regards to loss of habitat and natural environment. The constant human
activity on land, is leaving it polluted; forcing these species to move further away and
adapt to new regions or die trying to adjust. Several species are pushed to the verge of
extinction, due to no homeland.

Other issues that we face include increased temperature, unseasonal weather activity,
acid rains etc. The discharge of chemicals on land, makes it dangerous for the
ecosystem too. These chemicals are consumed by the animals and plants and thereby
make their way in the ecosystem. This process is called bio magnification and is a
serious threat to the ecology.

Solutions for Land Pollution

1. Make people aware about the concept of Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
2. Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural activities.
3. Avoid buying packages items as they will lead to garbage and end up in landfill
site.
 4. Ensure that you do not litter on the ground and do proper disposal of garbage.
5. Buy biodegradable products.
6. Do Organic gardening and eat organic food that will be grown without the use of
pesticides.
Several creatures survive under the land too. Disrupting the harmony of the land, is
disrupting their habitat. This has led to several creatures reaching the endangered
status like the Gilbert’s Potoro in Australia.

Conclusion
We must understand the importance of land. Land is as a place to grow and supply
plant needs, the land also functions as a protector of plants from attacks by pests and
diseases and the harmful effects of pesticides and industrial waste, awareness will care
about soil conservation needs to be improved from small things such as properly
disposing of waste the place, the result of soil contamination is very detrimental to the
continuity of living things on this earth, if not from ourselves.

Cover
Thank you for the attention and cooperation of all those who have helped. We hope this
report will be very useful for all of us to find out various information about soil.
Bibliography

https://lamosea.com/jenis-jenis-tanah/
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/957-soil-properties
http://blogdaryani.blogspot.com/2013/04/peranan-tanah-bagi-kehidupan.html
http://www.everythingconnects.org/soil-pollution.html
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-land-pollution.php
http://farahatikahgeografitanah.blogspot.com/p/pengertian-tanah.html