Introduction to Soil Science

Eko Handayanto
Department of Soil Science, FA-UB
September 2013
Classes:
F (Monday): 9/9; 16/9; 23/9; 30/9; 7/10; 14/10; 21/10 (Tnh B)
E (Friday): 13/9; 20/9; 27/9; 4/10; 11/10; 18/10; 25/10 (Tnh A2)
Mineral vs organic soils

· Mineral soil (> 95% wolrd’s soils)

· Formed from rocks and sediment
· Organic matter content is < 5%
· Mostly developed from mineral matters  mineral soil
· Organic soil ( < 1% wolrd’s soils)
· Formed from peat, muck, and plant debris; swampy areas or
very wet areas
· Organic matter content can be more than 20%
Lecture 02 (ehn ): 16 & 20 September 2013

 Where does soil come from?

 How does soil form?
 Factors of soil formation
 Soil formation processes
Soil vs human body system

 Digestive - matters decomposition

 Respiratory - air circulation & exchange of gases
 Circulatory - water movement with in the soil system
 Excretory - leaching out of excess salts
 Brain - soil clay
 Colour - soil colour
 Height - soil depth
Where does soil come from?
• Rocks
• Minerals
• Organic Matter
 Types of rock
 Igneous : cold, solid magma
 Sedimentary: materials deposited from
suspension or precipitated from solution
 Metamorphic: rocks changed by heat
and pressure
HOW DOES SOIL FORM?
Soils are very different, depending on how they form
 5 FACTORS CONTROL THE TYPE OF SOIL
4 factors TIME is the 5th
factor Soil forms by the
control soil-
interaction of the first
forming four factors. It changes
processes to create soil profiles
unique for the conditions
Living things and elapsed time. A soil
profile consist of layers
Climate called “soil horizons”

Topography

Parent Material
Roles of the five factors of soil
formation
 LIVING THINGS: Plant roots physically break rocks
into small pieces; lichen dissolves rock; burrowing
animals mix the soil and help aeration
 CLIMATE: heat and water accelerate chemical
changes
 TOPOGRAPHY: Loose soil stays in place in flat areas,
allowing more thorough physical and chemical
alteration of its grains. On steep slopes, the soil
moves downhill before complete alteration can occur
Roles of the five factors of soil
formation
 PARENT MATERIAL: Chemical changes during soil
formation depend on what minerals and rocks are
present. Example: Calcium-rich soils generally form
from calcium-rich rocks (like limestone) but not from
calcium-poor rocks like granite.
 Two major divisions in type of parent material
 Residual-Formed in place (Residuum)
 Transported-Parent material was moved by:- wind (Eolian), -
ice (Glacial), - gravity (Colluvial)- Water (rivers (Alluvial),
oceans (Marine), lakes (Lacustrine)
Roles of the five factors of soil
formation
 TIME: When bedrock is exposed at the surface,
chemical, biologic, and physical processes combine to
produce a thin soil layer. Over time, the processes
extend vertically downward, developing soil horizons
whose position and thickness change over time.
 Some examples of
soil parent materials
 Loess
Wind-blown, silt-sized deposits

Alluvium
Rich alluvial soil deposits.
Marine deposits Residium
Weathered bedrock
Soil Formation Processes
 Transformations – modification of soil constituents.
Mineral weathering, organic matter breakdown.
 Translocations – movement up, down, or laterally
of soil constituents.
 Additions – movement of soil material in from
outside sources. Organic material from leaves, dust
from atmosphere.
 Losses – movement of soil material out of the soil.
Transportation to groundwater, erosion of surface
materials.
 Weathering
 The breaking down of rocks and other
materials on the Earth’s surface is called
weathering. A slow, continuous
process, it affects all substances
exposed to the atmosphere.
Types of Weathering
 Rocks on the Earth’s surface are broken
down by two types of weathering:
mechanical and chemical.
Mechanical Weathering
 When the forces of weathering break rocks
into smaller pieces but do not change the
chemical makeup of the rocks, the process is
called mechanical weathering. During
mechanical weathering, rocks are broken into
different shapes and smaller pieces. At the
beginning the edges are jagged, as
weathering continues, they become round.
 Causes of Mechanical
Weathering
 There are several causes of mechanical
weathering.
 Temperature
 Frost action
 Organic activity
 Gravity
 abrasion
Chemical Weathering
 When the chemical makeup of the rocks is
changed it is called chemical weathering.
During chemical weathering, changes occur in
the mineral composition of rocks. Minerals
can be added, removed or broken down
(decomposed).Many substances react
chemically with rocks to break them down.
Types of Chemical Weathering
 There are several causes of chemical
weathering.
 Water
 Oxidation
 Carbonation
 Sulfuric acid
 Plant acids