SOIL

RESOURCES
WHAT IS SOIL?
 HMMM?
⊷ Soil is loose material that
lies on top of the land. It is
a mixture of many different
things including rock,
minerals, water and air.
TYPES OF SOIL
STRUCTURE
GRANULAR
BLOCKY
PRISMATICA
PLATY
COLUMNAR
FOUR TYPES OF SOIL
 MAJOR SOIL
COMPONENTS
 WHAT SOIL
CHARACTERISTICS
SUPPORT AND
INFLUENCE VARIATIONS
IN EARTH
VEGETATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTS?
FOUR MAJOR
COMPONENTS
OF SOIL
 INORGANIC
MATERIAL
• Soils contain varying amounts
of insoluble materials. Rock
fragments and minerals that will
not readily dissolve in water.
Soils also contain soluble
minerals which supply
dissolved chemicals held in
solutions

• Soils sustain Earth’s land

ecosystems by providing a
great variety of necessary
chemical elements and
compounds to life forms.
• The chemical constituents of a
soil typically comes from many
sources– t h e b r e a k d o w n
(weathering) of underlying
rocks, deposits of loose
sediments, and minerals
dissolved in water.

• Plants need many chemical

substances per growth.

• Soil Fertilization – is the

process of adding nutrients or
other constituents in order to
meet the soil conditions that
certain plants require
 SOIL WATER
• The original source of soil water
is precipitation. When
precipitation falls on the land,
the water that is not evaporated
away is either absorbed into the
ground or by vegetation, or it
downslope.

• Water also provides nutrients in

a form that can be extracted by
vegetation. As water moves
through a soil, it washes over
and through various soil
components, dissolving some
of the materials and carrying
them through the soil..
• Soil water is not pure; it is
solution that contains soluble
nutrients

• Soil water is the term for water

found naturally occurring soil.

• Soil water is also called rhizic

water.

• Three main types of soil water.

1. Gravitational water
2. Capillary water
3. hygroscopic water
 SOIL AIR
• Soil air are the gasses found in
the air space between soil
components.

• The primary soil gasses include

nitrogen, Carbon dioxide and
Oxygen.

• The oxygen is critical because it

allows for respiration of both
plant root and soil organisms.
Other natural soil gasses are
atmospheric methane and
radon.
 ORGANIC
MATTER
• Organic matter (or organic
material) is matter that has
come from a recently living
organism. It is capable of
decay, or is the product of
decay; or is composed of
organize compounds.

• The decayed remains of plant

and animal materials, partially
transformed by bacterial action,
are collectively called humus.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF SOIL
 COLOR
 Is the most visible soil
characteristic.

 A soil’s colour is generally

related to its physical and
chemical characteristics.

 A standardized classification
system is used to determine
precise colour by comparing the
soil to the colour samples found
in Munsell soil colour books.(
picture).
Decomposed organic matter is
black or brown, so soils with
high mucus contents tend to
be dark. If the humus content
of soil decreases because of
either low organic activity or
loss of organics through
leeching, soil colours typically
fade to light brown or grey.
Soil colours provide
useful clues to the
physical and
chemical
characteristics of
soils and make the
job of recognizing
different soil types.
Soils that are red
or yellow
typically indicate
the presence of
iron. In moist
climates a light.
 In moist climates a light
grey or white soil
indicates that iron has
been leached out,
leaving oxides of silicon
and aluminium; in dry
climates, the same
colour typically indicates
a high proportion of
calcium or salts.
 TEXTURE
 Soil texture refers to the
particle sizes (or distribution)
that make lip a soil,

 In clayey soils, the dominant

size is clay particles, defines as
having diameters of less than
0.002 millimeter. In silty soils,
the dominant silt particles are
defined as being between 0.002
and 0.05 millimeter. Sandy soils
have mostly sand-sized
particles, with diameters
between 0.05 and 2.0
millimeters.
 A triangular graph is
used to discern different
classes of soil texture
based on the plot
percentages for each soil
grade (as sand, silt, and
clay are called) within
each class.

Soil texture helps determine a soils capacity to retain moisture and

air are necessary for plant growth. Soils with higher portion or larger
particles tend to be well aerated and allow water to infiltrate (seep
through) the soil quickly -sometimes so quickly that plants are
unable to use the water. Clay soils present the opposite problem
because they retard water movement, becoming waterlogged and
deficient in air. Aeration of the oil is important process in cultivation,
and plowing a soil opens its structure and increase its air content.
STRUCTURE
 In most soils, particles clump
into distinctive masses known
as soil peds.

 Soil structure influences a soil’s

porosity -the amount of space
that may contain fluids.

 Soil structure also influences

permeability -the rate at which
fluids such as water can pass
through.
 Soil structure can be influenced
by outside factors such as
moisture regime and the
nutrient cycle that plants use to
interchange chemicals with the
soil, keeping certain nones in
the system while others are
leached away.

 Human activities also influence

soil structure through
cultivation, irrigation, and
fertilization.
 ACIDITY AND
ALAKALINITY
 Levels of acidity or alkalinity are
measured on the pH scale of 0
to 14

 low pH = acidic
 high pH = alkaline
 a reading of 7 = neutral
DEVELOPMENT OF
SOIL HORIZON
Soil Development begins when plants
and animals colonize rocks or
deposits of rock fragments, the
parent material on which soil will
form.

Vertical Differences initially result

from the surface accumulation of
organic litter and the removal of fine
particles and dissolved minerals from
upper layers by percolating water that
deposits these surface at a lower
level.

The vertical cross-section of a soil is

called a soil profile Examining the
vertical differences in the soil profile
is important in recognizing different
soil types and understanding how a
soil developed. Overtime as factors
that affects soil development, this
vertical differentiation becomes more
and more apparent.
 SOIL HORIZONS
Within their soil profiles, well-developed
soils typically exhibit several distinct
layers, called soil horizons, that are
distinguished by their physical and
chemical properties. Soils are classified
largely on the differences in their horizons
and in the processes responsible for those
differences Soil horizons are designated
by a set of letters that refer to their
composition, dominant process and
position in the soil profile.
O horizon
-layer of organic debris and
humus
-the "O" designation refers to the
horizon's high organic content.

A horizon
-referred to as "topsoil"
-dark in color because of
decomposed organic matter.

E horizon
-named for the action of
strong eluvial processes.

B horizon
-where materials removed from
the A and E horizons are
deposited (except soils with high
organic content) -generally has
a little humus.
C horizon
-weathered parent material from which the
soil has developed either fragments of the
bedrock or deposits of rock materials that
were transported to the site by water, wind,
glacial or other surface process

R horizon
-lowest layer
-unchanged parent material
-either bed rock or transported deposits of
rock fragments Certain horizons in some
soils may not be as well developed as
others and some horizons may be missing
altogether, because soils and the
processes that form them vary widely and
can be transitional between horizons, the
horizon boundaries may be either sharp or
gradual. Variations in color and texture
within a horizon are also not unusual.
 FACTORS
AFFECTING SOIL
FORMATION
 PARENT
MATERIAL
This refers to the mineral
material or organic material
which the soil is formed. Soils
will carry the characteristics of
its parent material such as
color, texture, structure, mineral
composition and so on.
 ORGANISM
The source and richness
of organic matter are
down to the living things
(plant and animals) that
live on and in the soil.
Plants, in particular:
provide lots of vegetative
residues that are added to
soils. They shelter the
soils from the sun and
other environmental
conditions.
 CLIMATE
On a world regional scale,
climate is a major factor in
soil formation. Of course, if
the climate is the same in
the region where the soils
vary, other factors must be
responsible for the local
variation.
LAND SURFACE
CONFIGURATION
The slope of the land, it’s
relief and it’s aspect (the
direction it faces) all
influence soil development.
 TIME
Soils have a tendency to
develop toward a state of
equilibrium with their
environment.
 CLIMATE
On a world regional scale,
climate is a major factor in
soil formation. Of course, if
the climate is the same in
the region where the soils
vary, other factors must be
responsible for the local
variation.
SOIL- FORMING
REGIMES
 HMMM?
The characteristic that make
major soil types distinct from one
another result from their soil
forming regimes, which vary
mainly because of differences in
climate and vegetation. At the
broadcast scale of
generalization, climate
differences produce three
primary soil forming regimes:
laterization , podsolization, and
calcification .
.
THREE PRIMARY
SOIL- FORMING
REGIMES
LATERIZATION
Laterization is a soil forming
regime that occurs in humid
tropical and subtropical climates
as a result of high temperatures
and abundant precipitation.
These climatic environments
encourage rapid breakdown of
rocks and decomposition In
nearly all minerals. A soil of this
type is known as laterite. Laterite
are generally reddish in color
from iron oxides and the term
laterite means ‘brick-like’.
Laterization is the weathering
process by which laterite is
formed. In the process, soils and
rocks are depleted of soluble
substances, such as silica rich and
alkaline components and enriched
within soluble substances, such as
hydrated aluminum and iron
oxides.

Laterite is a soil and rock type rich

in iron and aluminum

Laterization is commonly
considered to have formed in
tropical regions that have a
pronounced dry season and a
water table that is close to the
surface.
 The weathering process by which soils
and rocks are depleted of soluble
substances, such as silica-rich and
alkaline components and enriched with
insoluble substances, such as
hydrated aluminum and iron oxides.
Laterization is especially common in
tropical regions that have a
pronounced dry season and a water
table that is close to the surface.

Laterization occurs in the hot, rainy

tropics where chemical weathering
proceeds at a rapid rate.

Tropical weathering ( laterization ) is a prolonged process of chemical

weathering which produces a wide variety in the thickness, grade, chemistry
and ore mineralogy of the resulting soils.
Laterite - is a soil and rock type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly
considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas.
PODZOLIZATION
Podzolization occurs mainly in
the high middle latitude where the
climates is moist with short, cool
summers and long severe
winters. The coniferous forests of
these climate region are an
integral part of the podzolization
process.

Podzolization This is an intense

form of leaching.
 Occurs when rainfall is greater
than precipitation.

The main substances leached out

of the soil include iron, aluminium
and humus compounds.

Podzol – is derived from a

Russian word meaning ‘ashy’.
Podzols are the typical soils of
coniferous or boreal forests.
 CALCIFICATION
Calcification occurs in warm,
semi-arid environments, usually
under grassland vegetation.

Calcification is occurs in regions

where evapotranspiration
significantly exceeds precipitation.

The subsoil is typically too dry to

support tree growth, and shallow
rooted grass or shrubs are the
primary forms of vegetation..
Soil tends to be rich in organic
matter and high in soluble bases.

The B horizon of the soil is

enriched with calcium carbonate
precipitated from water moving
downward through the soil, or
upward by capillary action of
water from below.
REGIMES OF LOCAL
IMPORTANCE
 REGIMES OF
LOCAL
IMPORTANCE
⊷ Natural resource management refers
to the management of natural
resources such as land, water, soil,
plants and animals, with a particular
focus on how management affects the
quality of life for both present and
future generations (stewardship). It
brings together land use planning,
water management, biodiversity
conservation, and the future
sustainability of industries like
agriculture, mining, tourism, fisheries
and forestry.
 REGIMES OF
LOCAL
IMPORTANCE
 Here's the top 5 natural resources of
the earth:
⊶ Water. While the earth may be
mostly water, only about 2-1/2
percent of it is fresh water.
⊶ Air. Clean air is necessary for the
existence of life on this planet.
⊶ Coal. Coal is estimated to be
able to last less than 200 more
years.
⊶ Oil.
⊶ natural gas
.
 Why soil is an
important natural
resource?
⊷ Soil is made up of
air, water, minerals
and organic material
and is one of the
most important
natural resources on
earth.
 How do we use soil
as a natural
resource?
⊷ Soil provides nutrients,
water, oxygen and heat
to natural land areas. Air
is a third critical resource
for humans, plants,
animals and all other
organisms within a
natural area.
 How can we use
natural resources
sustainably?
⊷ use renewable
resources, like wind and
solar energy, instead of
non-renewable
resources, like fossil
fuels.
 How many natural
resources does the
Philippines have?
⊷ Overview of Resources
⊷ It is estimated that the
Philippines is home to
more than 21.5 billion
The natural resources of
the Philippines include
water, organic materials,
plants, trees, soil.
 Why is soil classified
as a nonrenewable
resource
⊷ Soil, is actually a Renewable
resource but it is considered as
Non-Renewable because you
don't get soil like you get the
Sunrays everyday. It takes
millions of years for formation of
soil and you can't get it within
the lifespan of one human.
Hence it is considered as Non-
Renewable resource.
 What will happen if
we run out of soil?
⊷ Poor farming practices
deplete soil nutrients faster
than they are able to form,
leading to loss of soil
fertility and degraded lands.
How natural
resources are useful
to us?
⊷ Natural resources are
materials and substances
that occur naturally and can
be used for economic gain.
They include minerals,
forests, fertile land, and
water. Some natural
resources, such as soil and
water, are essential for the
existence of life..