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Class: _______________

IB ESS

5.1 Introduction to Soil

Systems
Significant ideas:
The soil system is a dynamic ecosystem that has inputs, outputs, storages and flows.
The quality of soil influences the primary productivity of an area.

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The Soil Profile

1. Label the diagram below with the following parts. Include a brief description of each horizon.

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The Soil “System”

1. Read the description of the soil system below. Using coloured pens/highlighters, label all of
the inputs, outputs, storages and flows. Don’t forget to complete the key.

Soil is made of many materials. Material such as leaf litter enters the soil and
contributes to the organic matter. Inorganic material such as minerals move through the soil
with water if they are dissolved. They enter from the bedrock below. Water can enter or
leave as rainfall or through evaporation, and this can influence the direction of movement
of minerals. Soil is generally porous (though some soils more so than others). This means that
air is usually able to diffuse into the soil.

There is biomass in the form of living organisms, which transfer throughout the soil as
they are mobile, and can help move materials around within the soil. This is known as
biological mixing. Material may also be moved through the system by non-living things;
rainwater can carry suspended material to different places. This is known as translocation.

Within the soil there is the break down of organic matter by decomposers in the
process of decomposition. There is also a natural process of nutrient cycling, which often
involves living organisms. The nitrogen cycle is a good example of the complex series of
transformations that nutrients might go through. Not all transformations within the soil require
living organisms, however. For example, chemical weathering will change materials into
different forms.

Plants take material from the soil; photosynthesis requires the uptake of water by
roots. Furthermore, plants need a range of minerals to form biological compounds, and
these minerals are also supplied by uptake through roots.

Lastly, material may leave the system through soil erosion. This can happen because
of surface run-off, and may be influenced by a reduction in natural plant life as roots tend
to stabilize soil.

KEY:

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3. Draw a systems diagram to represent a soil system. When you label each flow, state whether
it is a transfer or a transformation.

4. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Ecosystem as:

“The complex of a community of organisms and its environment functioning as an ecological
unit.”

Explain why the soil system can be viewed as an ecosystem.

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Soil Texture

1. The mineral content of soil varies amongst different soil types. However, mineral particles can
be broadly categorized based on their size.
a) Complete the table below to show the type and associated size of the three types of soil
particle.

Particle Type Particle size (mm)

1.

2.

3.

b) Briefly outline the properties of soils composed of the particle types listed above:

Type 1
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Type 2
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Type 3
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2. Soils are unlikely to be composed of one particle type only, but a combination of each. The
relative amounts of each particle dictate the type of soil (and its properties).
Use a soil texture triangle to identify the type of soil with the following particle compositions.
You will find a soil texture diagram in your textbook, or you can do an online search.

Particle Composition (%)

Soil type
Clay Silt Sand

50 50 0

30 30 40

20 40 40

60 20 20

3. Describe how you could test for particle composition of soil using the following methods:
Sieves
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The jar method
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4. Describe and explain the relative fertility of clay soil, sandy soil and loam (loam includes a
mixture of soil particles).
HELP: You will know you’ve provided enough information if you state the fertility levels of each soil type,
and discussed the water holding capacity, drainage, porosity, mineral content, and potential to hold
organic matter in each type, and linked these factors to the primary productivity of the soil.
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