EARTH SCIENCE Q2U4: SOIL AND MAN

L1: PEDOSPHERE COMPONENTS OF SOIL

= soil is an essential component of Earth; it forms the pedosphere 45% Mineral
= derived from the Greek words pedon which means “soil” and sfaira which means “sphere.” 25% Air
= soil is unconsolidated regolith modified over time by water, air, and organic material 25% Water
= layer that supports the growth of plants 5% Organic Matter

SOIL SCIENCE
= study of soil is concerned with soil characterization, classification, mapping, physical, chemical, hydrologic, mineral logical analysis,
soil assessment, and evaluation
Edaphology Pedology
= Greek word “edaphos,” which means ground = Greek word “pedon,” which means soil
= study of soil as a habitat for living organisms = this division involves the study of soil as a geologic entity,
= this division is concerned with how soil influences organisms especially plants meaning, its formation, classification, chemistry, and
morphology
SOIL FORMATION
1.) Rock disintegration
= the forces of wind, rain, freezing and thawing water, volcanoes, and earthquakes all work
together to slowly break down rocks into smaller particles that will eventually create soil.
2.) Early stage of soil
= in this stage, simple organisms thrive such as lichens. These lichens are especially important
because of their ability to trap water, silt, and dust in the soil.
Furthermore, when they die, they increase the amount of organic matter in the soil.
3.) The soil slowly develops
= it can now support plants with roots.
4.) The soil is developed to support thick vegetation.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT SOIL FORMATION

Parent Material
= the source of regolith
= undergoes physical and chemical changes during the process of soil formation
= it is called residual soil when the resulting soil is found in the same place as the parent material.
= it is called transported soil when the source of material is coming from unconsolidated deposits transported by different media
Climate
= determines how temperature and moisture vary and determines the intensity of the weathering processes
Topography
= slope and aspect affect the moisture and temperature of soil
= steep slopes facing the sun are warmer. Steep soils may be eroded and lose their topsoil as they form
Biological Factors
= plants, animals, microorganisms, and humans affect soil formation
= animals and microorganisms mix soils and form burrows and pores. Plant roots open channels in the soils
= different types of roots have different effects on soils
= grass roots are fibrous near the soil surface and easily decompose, adding organic matter
= taproots open pathways through deeper layers
= microorganisms affect chemical exchanges between roots and soil
= humans can mix the soil so extensively that the soil material is again considered parent material
Time
= overtime, soils exhibit features that reflect the other forming factors. Soil formation processes are continuous.
= recently deposited material, such as the deposition from a flood, exhibits no features from soil development activities
= the previous soil surface and underlying horizons become buried. The time clock resets for these soils
= terraces above the active floodplain, while similar to the floodplain, are older land surfaces and exhibit more development features

SOIL TEXTURE
= relative proportion of the particle sizes in the soil, sand, silt, and clay
= soil is naturally composed of a mixture of these particles and proportion of
which affects other soil properties such as soil porosity and water retention
= the proportions of clay, silt, and sand are plotted in the soil textual triangle
to determine its soil type base on particle size
SOIL PROFILE
= shows the sequence of soil horizons from the surface down to the underlying bedrock
= varies depending on climate, topography, rock type or parent materials, biological
activity, and time

O (humus or organic), composed of loose or partly decayed organic matter

A (topsoil) is composed of mineral matter mixed with some dark organic humus
E (eluviated) some have this horizon, characterized minerals and leaching
B (subsoil)is the accumulated clay and other nutrients from the layers above it
C (substratum) is composed of partially altered parent material
R use for hard bedrock, which is not soil

SOIL TAXONOMY (CLASSIFICATION)

1. Gelisols
= frozen soils; found in the coldest regions on Earth
2. Histosols
= organic wetland soils; high organic content and wet
3. Spondosols
= cool temperate, acidic soils; sandy and acidic soils found in moist climates that often support dense forests
4. Andisols
= volcanic ash soils; composed of volcanic ash
5. Oxisols
= highly weathered tropical soils; very weathered and common in tropical climates
6. Vertisols
= shrinking and swelling soils; claylike soils that shrink and swell
7. Aridisols
= dryland soils; very dry soils in arid regions
8. Ultisols
= weathered tropical and subtropical soils; weathered soils
9. Mollisols
= grassland soils; deep and fertile soils
10. Alfisols
= moderately weathered soil; moderately weathered productive soils found intemperate and humid regions
11. Inceptisols
= slightly developed soils; slightly developed, young soils found on steep slopes and mountain ranges
12. Entisols
= undeveloped soils; Newly formed soils found in steep rock lands

NINE SOIL ORDERS ACCORDING TO BUREAU OF SOILS AND WATER MANAGEMENT (Philippines)
L2: SOIL AND SOIL QUALITY
Soil is important in sustaining man’s existence and provides humans with the following services:
1. Arable land for agriculture
= Latin word arabilis which means “able to be plowed”
= lands that are capable of producing crops or are suited for farming and are distributed worldwide
= Philippines, as of 2003, has 5.7 million hectares and is 38th in rank among the countries worldwide
= United States ranks first with 174.45 million hectares
= non-arable lands are those which are not suited for farming
2. Regulating water and filtering potential pollutants
3. Nutrient cycling
4. Foundation and support
5. Mineral deposit
= laterites or soils that are mined for their mineral content- whether it be iron, nickel, or aluminum

HOW HUMAN ACTIVITIES DEGRADE SOIL QUALITY

= The Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations (UN FAO) define soil degradation as a change in the soil health status in a diminished capacity of
the ecosystem to provide goods and services for its beneficiaries.
= degraded soils cannot provide the goods and services required by its ecosystem
= soil degradation results in the loss of arable lands and drought and aridity
= degradation also takes away the soil’s ability to hold water which results in increased flooding
= polluted soil affects water quality as toxic substances in the soil are eventually discharged in waterways
= around 40% of soil used in agriculture worldwide are identified as degraded or seriously degraded
= 33% of global soil is moderately to highly degraded through erosion, salinization, compaction, acidification, chemical pollution, and nutrients depletion which
hamper soil functions and limit food production
1. Soil erosion
2. Soil compaction
3. Desertification
4. Intensive agriculture
5. Urbanization or the increasing population has led to the conversion of land to urban center

CONSERVATION OF SOIL RESCOURCE

1. Increasing soil organic matter
2. Keeping the soil covered and vegetated
3. Avoiding excessive tillage
4. Manage pests and nutrients efficiently
5. Promoting crop rotation
6. Reducing erosion and preventing soil compaction

L3: HUMAN ACTIVITIES, WASTE, AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

Ecosystem services
= refers to the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human survival and quality of life

CATEGORIES OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Support services
= include the cycling of vital nutrients, decomposition of organic material, water cycle, and production of primary materials.
Provisioning services
= provide the basic needs for survival -air, water, shelter, food, and energy.
Regulating services
= are benefits obtained by regulating the climate, hazards, and diseases through the process such as carbon sequestration-removal of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere and storage in plants.
Cultural services
= include nonmaterial benefits such as spiritual enrichment, cultural heritage, recreation, tourism, and the aesthetic experience that nature provides for humans

HUMAN ACTIVITIES
Agricultural Depletion
= Farming can degrade the topsoil and lead to an increase in erosion. To plant a field, a farmer must first till the soil, breaking it up and loosening it so the new
plants can take root. Planting cover crops in the fall can help maintain the soil. In addition, rotating the crops planted can help return nutrients to the soil to
prevent its degradation.
Overgrazing Animals
= Grazing animals are animals that live on large areas of grassland. They wander over the area and eat grasses and shrubs. They can remove large amounts of the
plant cover for an area. If too many animals graze the same land area, once the tips of grasses and shrubs have been eaten, they will use their hooves to pull
plants out by their roots.
Deforestation
= Practice that can greatly increase the rate of erosion in a region. One of the most important barriers to erosion is plant life, as long-lived trees and other species
put down roots that literally help hold the soil together.
Mining operations
= Major contributors to erosion, especially on a local level. Many mining techniques involve shifting large amounts of earth, such as strip mining or mountaintop
removal.
Development and Expansion
= Urban and suburban development can also exacerbate erosion, especially if the developers ignore the natural state of the land. Construction of a building often
begins by clearing the area of any plants or other natural defenses against soil erosion. In addition, some landscapers replace natural ground cover with plant
species unsuited to the climate, and these plants may not be as effective at preventing erosion.
Recreational activities
= Recreational activities like driving vehicles off-road or hiking -Humans also cause erosion through recreational activities, like hiking and riding off-road vehicles.
An even greater amount of erosion occurs when people drive off-road vehicles over an area. The area eventually develops bare spots where no plants can grow.
Erosion has become a serious problem in these areas.

WASTE
= any discarded or rejected material mainly from human activities and some other processes
Solid Wastes
= wastes that are in solid form. Solid wastes are further subdivided as either putrescible and non-putrescible
1. Municipal waste includes materials that people in a community no longer want because they are broken, spoiled, or no longer useful.
2. Agricultural waste is a common form of waste derived from farming and poultry.
3. Industrial solid waste comes from industrial sources other than mining.
4. Mining waste
Liquid Wastes
= freely flowing when transported or heated to 60°C and are not capable of being picked up by a spade or shovel

METHODS OF WASTE DISPOSAL

Landfill
= cheapest and the most convenient method
= the threat of groundwater contamination reduces the use of this practice
Incineration
= involves burning in a controlled manner using an incinerator. Later used to generate electricity.
Mulch and compost
= one of the simplest methods to dispose of waste at homes
= composting is the method of allowing the natural process of decomposition to transform organic materials into humus-like material called compost.
Source reduction
= method of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, using, and reusing materials so that the amount of waste or its toxicity is reduced.
Recycling
= method of collecting throwaway materials and turning them into useful products

THE RESOURCE CYCLE

= process involving the transformation of a raw material into a usable or consumable product and its
disposal
= starts with extraction of resources and raw materials through mining, cultivating, and/or harvesting.
= the extracted materials are then processed, transported, and manufactured into new products to be
delivered to or purchased by consumers. During these stages, waste can be generated.

WASTE MANAGEMENT
1. Reducing the waste at the source involves buying durable products that can be used for a long time and
refraining from buying disposable products that lead to more waste.
2. Reuse and recycle solid waste to serve another purpose.
3. Treatment of waste to minimize its effects on the environment.
Waste management in homes, schools, communities, and industries can be done using the waste management hierarchy of options.

In the Philippines, most waste management practices are governed by the Republic Act 9003
known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which basically aims to protect the
public’s health and the environment through proper waste disposal and environment-friendly
methods of utilizing our resources. Since its implementation, government offices, as well as those in
the private sectors, conducted various programs towards a greener and cleaner country. Numerous
local government units passed ordinances banning the use of plastics and foams, which clogged
waterways and drainage systems resulting in flooding and water pollution. Shopping malls such as
Shoemart and Ayala Malls promoted the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) through their ecobag
programs and nationwide recycling fairs. Segregation was also strongly enforced through “no
segregation, no collection” campaigns.

The RA 9003 also mandated the establishment of materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in individual
or clusters of barangays, schools, malls, and other establishments. These MRFs receive, sort, and
process compostable and recyclable materials. Dump sites were closed and were replaced with
sanitary landfills whose impermeable linings prevent leachates from polluting ground and surface
waters.