Checking your Understanding: 5.

Introduction to Soil Systems

1. Draw and label a diagram that illustrates the different soil horizons.

2. Draw a systems diagram of soil including the following storages and flows (transfers
and transformations, inputs and outputs).
• Storages: organic matter, organisms, nutrients, minerals, air, and water.
• Inputs: leaf litter, inorganic matter from parent material.
• Outputs: uptake by plants, soil erosion.
• Transfers: Biological mixing, leaching.
• Transformation: decomposition, weathering, nutrient cycling.

© Laura Hamilton,
InThinking www.thinkib.net/ESS 1
 3. Explain how soil can be viewed as an ecosystem.

4. Contrast sand, clay, and loam soils in their

• mineral and nutrient content
• drainage
• water holding capacity
• air spaces
• biota
• potential to hold organic matter

© Laura Hamilton,
InThinking www.thinkib.net/ESS 2
 5. Based on the answer to the previous question, discuss the productivity potential of the
three soil types.

6. Be able to use a soil texture triangle to identify soil types.

© Laura Hamilton,
InThinking www.thinkib.net/ESS 3
4) Where the lines intersect should also indicate percent silt. On the graph above, you can see that it is
about 8% silt. 5) Wherever your lines intersect indicates the soil type you have. In this situation, with
65% sand, 27% clay, and 8% silt, it is sandy clay loam.

© Laura Hamilton,
InThinking www.thinkib.net/ESS 4