EARTH SCIENCE’S

SOIL RESOURCES
SOI
• The word soil is derived from a Latin word “solum‟ meaning
Learthy material in which plants grow.
• The study of soil is known as Soil science or Pedology (pedos
= earth) or Edaphology (edaphos = soil). The study of soil is
important in many respects.
• Soil is natural habitat for Plants and animals. It provides water
and nutrients to the living organisms.
 SOI
•LSoil developed from the pre-existing rocks, the regolith
of the crust. Here soil means the loose, friable,
unconsolidated top layer of the earth crust.
• The soil is differentiated into several layers or horizons
which can be distinguished from one another by their
colours, textures and other characteristics.
SOI
L
• It contains water, gases, complex minerals organic
substances and micro-organisms. The dead remains of
plants and animals are degraded by micro-organisms
and after degradation a number of organic substances,
generally called humus, are contributed to the soil.
Definition of Soil:
Soil may be defined as “the part of earth crust in
which humus is present”. It is mixture of organic
matter, minerals, gases, liquids and organisms that
together support life. Earth’s body of soil, called the
pedosphere.
Pedosphere has four important
functions:
 as a medium for plant growth.
 as a means of water storage, supply and purification.
 as a modifier of Earth’s atmosphere.
 as a habitat for organisms.
Components of Soil:
The soil is made up of the following components:
(1)Mineral particles,
(2)Organic matter or humus,
(3)Soil atmosphere,
(4)Soil water, and
(5)Biological system or soil micro-organisms.
1. Mineral components/particles:

The mineral constituents of the soil are derived from

the parental rocks or regolith. They may be found in
the form of particles of different sizes; from clay
(.0002 mm or less in dm) to large pebbles and gravels.
The minerals represent about 90% of the total weight
of the soil.
1. Mineral components/particles:

Important elements which are found in compound

state are Oxygen, Si, Fe, Al, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, C, H,
etc. In soil, nitrogen comes from atmosphere in the
form of nitrogen salts.
2. Organic
Matter or Humus:
Besides inorganic minerals, some organic residues derived
either from dead remains of plants and animals or through
metabolic activities of living organisms are present in the soil.
When the plants and animals die, their dead remains are acted
upon by a number of microorganisms and are finally
degraded or decomposed into simple organic compounds.
2. Organic
Matter or Humus:
A product of this microbial decomposition is
humus which is a dark coloured, jelly-like amorphous
substance composed of residual organic matters not
readily decomposed by soil microorganisms. The
process of humus formation is called humification.
HUMUS
2. Organic
Matter or Humus:
The chief elements found in humus are carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen. The important compounds found
in it are carbohydrates, phosphoric acid, some organic acids,
fats, resins, urea, etc. Tree litter (very little decomposed dead
matter) also contains some inorganic substances as lime,
potash, Mn, Mg, silica, Cu, Al, Ga, Na, K, etc.
2. Organic
Matter or Humus:
Humus is a dynamic product and is constantly
changing because of its oxidation, reduction and
hydrolysis. Hence, it has no definite chemical
composition. It has much carbon content and less
nitrogen. Humus is not soluble in water. It is present in
soil in the form of organic colloids.
2. Organic
Matter or Humus:
The amounts of humus in different soils vary
greatly. Humus percentage in the soil is affected by
climatic and biological factors. It is less in arid soils
and very high in humid soils. In the top layer of the
soil, humus quantity is greater than in the deep layers.
2. Organic In dark humid areas which are thickly covered with
vegetation, the humus may be found in the following

Matter or Humus three stages of degradation:

I. The top floor is covered with dead organic parts

showing low degree of decomposition. These
poorly decayed dead parts of plants form litter.
II. Below the litter may be found a layer of partially
decomposed organic matter which is known as
duff layer.
2. Organic In dark humid areas which are thickly covered with
vegetation, the humus may be found in the following

Matter or Humus three stages of degradation:

III. When the duff is decomposed completely into

organic substances, the decomposition products,
generally called leaf moulds, are accumulated
below duff layer.
2. Organic
Matter or Humus:
Sometimes under anaerobic conditions, the dead
remains are not at all acted upon by the
microorganisms. Accumulation of such un-
decomposed organic remains is termed as peat.
2. Organic
Matter or Humus
Humus plays many important roles in the soil, such as:

a. It makes the soil fertile.

b. It provides nutrients to the plants and microorganisms.
2. Organic Humus plays many important roles
Matter or Humus in the soil, such as:

c. On complete decomposition, it forms several organic

acids which serve as solvents for soil materials. Thus
humus increases the availability of minerals in dissolved
state to plants.
d. Because it is porous, it has got high capacity for retaining
water.
2. Organic Humus plays many important roles
Matter or Humus in the soil, such as:

e. Humus makes the soil porous, thus increases the aeration

and percolation which make the soil more suitable for the
plant growth.
f. It also acts as weak cement thus binds the sand particles.
g. Presence of humus in the soil increases the rate of
absorption in plants.
3. Soil Atmosphere:

Gases found in soil profiles are said to form the

soil atmosphere which is one of the most
important components of the soil. The spaces
between soil particles and soil organisms are
called pore spaces.
3. Soil Atmosphere:

These are filled with moisture and air in

varying quantities which account for
approximately half of the total volume of soil. In
dry soils, percentage of moisture is lesser than
that in wet soils.
3. Soil Atmosphere:

The important factors which bring about

changes in the soil atmosphere are temperature
atmospheric pressure, wind and rainfall.
Temperature and atmospheric pressure cause
expansion and contraction of the soil air.
3. Soil Atmosphere:

Wind helps the soil in sucking the air in and

rain water displaces the soil air. Any considerable
change in the soil atmosphere affects the size and
function of micro-flora and other biological
populations.
4. Soil Water:

Soil water plays very important role in the

plant growth. Plants absorb a small quantity of
ram water and dew directly from their surfaces
but most of water absorbed by them comes from
the soil.
4. Soil Water:

Soil water maintains the soil texture,

arrangement and compactness of soil particles. It
is good solvent for minerals and it makes the
concentration of nutrients low so that nutrients
may be absorbed by plants easily.
4. Soil Water:

Water in the soil comes mainly through

infiltration of precipitated water (rain, sleet, snow
and hail) and irrigation whereas it is lost from the
soil chiefly through evaporation, percolation
stream flow and transpiration.
4. Soil Water:

The quantity of water available in the soil

varies from place to place. The amount also
depends upon the quality of soil. In loamy, silty
and clay soils, the amount of water is greater than
that in coarse sandy soil.
5. Biological System of the Soil or
Soil Microorganisms:
Organisms present in the soils are called soil organisms. Important group of soil
organisms are given below.

Soil Flora
1. Bacteria
2. Soil fungi
3. Soil actinomycetes
4. Algae
5. Root, rhizoid and rhizome of higher plants
5. Biological System of the Soil or
Soil Microorganisms:
Organisms present in the soils are called soil organisms. Important group of soil
organisms are given below.

Soil Fauna
1. Protozoa
2. Nematodes
3. Insects and mites
4. Rodents and earthworms
5. Burrowing vertebrates
5. Biological System of the Soil or
Soil Microorganisms:
Many of these soil organisms are stable, many are
mobile, but some are held in the colloidal films of the
soil particles. Protozoa, mites and insects are example
of moving organisms. They move in or on the surface
of soil in search of food.
5. Biological System of the Soil or
Soil Microorganisms:
Earthworms by the burrowing habit make the soil
loose and fertile. They are found in abundance. In
some forests their number may reach up to 10,000 per
square foot. These soil organisms feed on the organic
matter of the soil.
5. Biological System of the Soil or
Soil Microorganisms:
The majority of soil fungi are found in acidic soils.
Actinomycetes prefer saline soils and soil bacteria grow fairly
well in the neutral soils richly supplied with organic nutrients.
These microorganisms are found in the soil at variable depths.
Algae are found in the top layer of soil under the conditions
of constant shade and moisture.
5. Biological System of the Soil or
Soil Microorganisms:
9%
1% Soil Micro Flora
Bacteria

Fungi and Algae

actinomycetes

90%
5. Biological System of the Soil or
Soil Microorganisms:
In deeper layer (1.5 to 5 m) individual microbes are found.
However, they have been discovered at a depth of 17.5 inches
in coal, oil and artesian water. It has been calculated that in
the ploughed layer of cultivated soil over an area of one
hectare there may be from 5 to 6 tons of microbial mass and
one gram of ploughed soil contains 1-10 thousand million
bacteria.
Role of Soil Organisms:
Soil organisms take part in a number of processes in
the soils. Some of their important roles are as follows:
1. Decompose the dead organic matter and increase plant
nutrients in available forms,
2. Production of toxins,
3. Production of growth stimulating substances,
4. Nitrogen fixation in the soil,
Role of Soil Organisms:
Soil organisms take part in a number of processes in
the soils. Some of their important roles are as follows:
5. Mixing of soil,
6. Improvement in soil aeration,
7. Improvement in the aggregation of soil particles or soil
binding, and
8. Cause injury to the plants.
EROSION:

Erosion is the geological process in which earth

materials are worn away and transported by natural
forces such as wind or water. Most erosion is
performed by liquid water or ice (usually in the form
of a glacier).
EROSION:
EROSION:
Half of the topsoil on the planet has been lost in the
last 150 years. In addition to erosion, soil quality is
affected by other aspects of agriculture. These impacts
include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient
degradation, and soil salinity. These are very real and
at times severe issues.
EROSION:
The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of
fertile land. It has led to increased pollution and
sedimentation in streams and rivers, clogging these
waterways and causing declines in fish and other
species. And degraded lands are also often less able to
hold onto water, which can worsen flooding.
HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
SPEED UP EROSION

Soil is especially vulnerable to erosion if it is bare or

exposed. Plants therefore serve a tremendous role in
preventing soil erosion. If the soil is covered with plants,
erosion is slowed down. But when soil is bare, the rate of
erosion speeds up tremendously.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
1. Agricultural SPEED UP EROSION
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. Once the plants are harvested, the loose soil remains
and wind or rain can easily wash it away.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
1. Agricultural SPEED UP EROSION
Depletion

In the 1930s, much of the American plains suffered

greatly from erosion due to non-sustainable farming
practices, creating the Dust Bowl and leading to
widespread poverty and migration to the west coast.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
1. Agricultural SPEED UP EROSION
Depletion

Planting cover crops in the fall can help maintain the

soil through the winter months, reducing the amount of
erosion. In addition, rotating the crops planted can help
return nutrients to the soil to prevent its degradation.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
2. Overgrazing SPEED UP EROSION
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.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
3. Deforestation SPEED UP EROSION

Deforestation is another 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.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
3. Deforestation SPEED UP EROSION

Logging kills these plants, and even if the operation plants

new trees to replace the old ones, the younger plants require
years to put down the kind of root system that once protected
the soil.
Timber companies utilize a variety of different techniques, such as
partial clearing and replanting, to prevent soil degradation and
erosion in their work zones.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
SPEED UP EROSION
4. Mining
Mining operations are 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.
These operations leave large amounts of loose soil exposed to the
elements, and they often require large amounts of water, which
can exacerbate the erosion process.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
SPEED UP EROSION
4. Mining
Even once the mining operation is completed and the
company replaces the earth, it lacks the established
vegetation that helped it maintain its coherency before
removal, and until plants can re-establish themselves,
erosion will continue to be a problem.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
5. Development SPEED UP EROSION
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.
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
5. Development SPEED UP EROSION
and Expansion

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.
Shenzen, China

1980 2011
 HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT
6. Recreational SPEED UP EROSION
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.
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