Soil Resources

THE PEDOSPHERE
Learning Targets:
• identify human activities, such as farming, construction
of structures, and waste disposal, that affect the quality
and quantity of soil
• give ways of conserving and protecting the soil for
future generations
PEDOSPHERE
It is the foundation of the terrestrial life on
Earth.
It is the living skin of Earth which is the result
of the dynamic interaction among the atmosphere,
biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere.
COMPONENTS OF SOIL
• Mineral- 45%
• Air- 25%
• Water- 25%
• Organic matter- 5%
SOIL FORMATION
• Soil forms when the rock weathers.

• Weathering is the physical disintegration and
chemical decomposition of Earth’s materials
or at near Earth’s surface.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT SOIL
FORMATION
•Parent material
•Climate
•Topography
•Biological factors
•Time
PARENT MATERIAL
• Its chemistry and type will

determine the soil that will be
formed.
• Residual soils- soils formed
onsite through the weathering
and underlying rock.
CLIMATE
• Temperature, rainfall and
moisture affects the pattern
and intensity of soil-forming
processes such as weathering,
leaching, transportation, and
distribution.
TOPOGRAPHY
• The gradient of the slope

affects water flow and
erosion. Soil that form in
steep slopes tend to be
thinner because of the higher
rates of erosion.
BIOLOGICAL FACTORS
• Organisms such as
plants, animals,
microorganisms, and
humans affect soil
formation.
TIME
• The formation of soil is a
long and continuous
process which may take
hundreds to thousand of
years depending on the
climate and environment.
SOIL TEXTURE
• It is defined as the relative
proportion of the particle sizes in
the soil– silt, clay and sand.
• Clay
• Silt
• Sand
• Loam is the ideal soil for
agricultural purposes.
LOAM
• Loam soils generally contain

more nutrients, moisture, and
humus than sandy soils, have
better drainage and infiltration
of water and air than silt and
clay-rich soils, and are easier to
till than clay soils
SOIL AND SOIL
QUALITY
ARABLE LAND FOR
AGRICULTURE
• Arable land (from Latin arabilis,
"able to be plowed") is,
according to one definition, land
capable of being ploughed and
used to grow crops.
• An important role of arable land
is that it can sustain plant and
animal life.
REGULATING WATER AND FILTERING
POTENTIAL POLLUTANTS
• Soil plays an
important part in
absorbing water and
storing ground water.
NUTRIENT CYCLING
• Carbon, nitrogen,
phosphorus, and other
essential nutrients are
stored, transformed,
and cycled in the soil.
FOUNDATION AND SUPPORT
• Soil structure provides a base for plant roots.

• Soils along the bedrock also provide foundation
and support for human shelter and structures such
as houses and roads.
MINERAL DEPOSITS
• 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.
• They are develop through an intensive and
extensive chemical weathering of
underlying parent rock, resulting in thick
accumulation of metals in the soil.
HOW HUMAN ACTIVITIES
DEGRADE SOIL QUALITY?
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations ( UN FAO) define soil degradation as a
change in the soil health status, resulting in a
diminished capacity of the ecosystem to provide
good and services for its beneficiaries.
•Soil erosion
causes the
loss of topsoil
and nutrients
in soil.
•Soil compaction
reduces the
amount of air,
water, and space
available to roots
and soil organisms.
Desertification is the
irreversible change of
the land to such a state
where it can no longer
be recovered for its
original use. It is
characterized by
droughts and arid
conditions.
• Intensive agriculture has
led to the use of more and
heavier machinery,
deforestation, and
clearing of land for
cultivation. These
activities led to the loss of
organic matter, soil
compaction and damage
to physical properties.
• Urbanization has led
to the conversion of
land to urban centers
which are generally
characterized by
concrete structures,
roads and pavements.
CONSERVATION OF SOIL
RESOURCE
•Tree Planting
•Terraces Building
•No-till farming
•Contour Plowing
•Crop Rotation
CONSERVATION OF SOIL
RESOURCE
•Maintaining Soil pH
•Water the Soil
•Salinity Management
•Promote helpful soil organisms
•Grow Indigenous Crops

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THE PEDOSPHERE

• Soil forms when the rock weathers.

• Its chemistry and type will

• The gradient of the slope

• Loam soils generally contain

• Soil structure provides a base for plant roots.

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