Soils, an Introduction

EAS 21700
SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF THE EARTH
Angelo Lampousis, Ph.D.

Reference: Nature and Properties of Soils, 15th Edition, by Ray R. Weil and Nyle C. Brady
 Outline
• Roles of Soil
• Medium for Plant Growth
• The Pedosphere Concept
• Soil as A Natural Body
• Soil: The Interface of Air, Minerals, Water and Life
• Soil Organic Matter
• Soil Water: A Dynamic Solution
• Soil Air: A Changing Mixture of Gases
• Interaction of Four Components to Supply Plant
Nutrients
• Nutrient Uptake by Plant Roots
• Soil Quality, Degradation and Resilience
 Soil
– Soil is the bridge between the various Earth
systems
– Earth’s land surface is covered by a layer of
rock and mineral fragments produced by
weathering, called regolith
– Soil is a combination of mineral and organic
matter, water, and air and is the portion of the
regolith that supports the growth of plants
 Controls of Soil Formation
Parent material, time, climate, plants and
animals, and topography interact to control
soil formation
 Controls of Soil Formation
• Parent material
– The source of weathered material that forms soil
• Residual soils—soils form from the underlying bedrock
• Transported soils—soils that form in place from
unconsolidated sediment
• Time
– Weathering over a short period of time forms thin
soils that closely resemble the parent material
– Soils that have weathered for a long period of
time are generally thick and do not resemble the
parent material
 Controls of Soil Formation
• Climate
– The most influential control of soil formation
– Key factors are temperature and precipitation
• Plants and Animals
– Influence the soil chemistry
– Remains are converted into humus, which is
an important part of the organic component of
soils
Plants Influence Soil
 Controls of Soil Formation
• Topography
– Steep slopes have poorly developed soils
• Moisture content of these areas is often insufficient for
plant growth
– Flat and undulating surfaces are optimal for soil
formation
• Good drainage and minimal erosion
– Slope orientation is also important in soil
formation
• Southern-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere
receive the most sunlight are are optimal for soil
formation
 Roles of Soil
(1) supporting plant growth
(2) largely controlling the flow of water through the
hydrologic cycle
(3) recycling waste products of society and nature
(4) modifying the composition and properties of the
atmosphere
(5) providing habitat for an enormous diversity of
organisms
(6) functioning in built environments as construction
material and support for building foundations
Roles of Soil
 Medium for Plant Growth
Soils contribute in plant growth:
(1) physical support
(2) aeration for roots
(3) moisture supply and storage
(4) moderation of root zone and near-ground air
temperature
(5) an environment relatively free of
phytotoxins
(6) 13 of the 17 essential nutrient elements
Adopted from The Nature and Properties of Soils, 15th Edition, by Ray R. Weil and Nyle C. Brady
 The Pedosphere Concept
The importance of soil as a natural body derives in large
part from its roles as an interface between the worlds of

• rock (the lithosphere)

• air (the atmosphere)
• water (the hydrosphere), and
• living things (the biosphere)

Environments where all four of these worlds interact are

often the most complex and productive on Earth. The
soil, or pedosphere, is an example of such an
environment.
The Pedosphere Concept
 Soil as A Natural Body
• A soil is a three-dimensional natural body that
exists in the landscape, much as a mountain or
river does.
• The soil forms in the upper part of the regolith. Soil
horizons develop as horizontal layers of the
regolith become differentiated and a soil profile is
formed, typically with O, A, E, B, and C master
horizons.
• Organic matter is added at the surface, clay and
salts are translocated, and parent material
weathers into new soil material. In the process,
topsoil becomes quite different from the subsoil.
 The Soil Profile
• Soil-forming processes operate from the
surface downward
– Soil is divided into horizontal layers called
horizons
– A vertical section through all the soil horizons
is called a soil profile
• A mature soil has well-developed horizons
• An immature soil may lack soil horizons
 The Soil Profile
• O soil horizon—organic matter
– The lower portion is composed of humus
– This horizon includes bacteria, fungi, algae,
and insects
• A soil horizon—organic and mineral matter
– High biological activity
• O and A horizons make up the topsoil
Decaying plant
materials have
darkened a
thick A horizon
that caps this soils
along the central
California coast.
(Photo courtesy of
Ray R. Weil)
 The Soil Profile
• E horizon—little organic matter
– Light-colored layer
– Eluviation (washing out fine soil components
to lower soil layers) is common in this layer
– Soluble inorganic components are washed to
lower layers in a process called leaching
• B horizon (subsoil)—zone of accumulation
– Material washed down from the E horizon
accumulates in this layer
Horizons begin to
differentiate as materials are
added to the upper part of
the profile and other
materials are translocated
to deeper zones.
(Diagram courtesy of Ray R.
Weil)
 The Soil Profile
• Collectively, the O, A, E, and B horizons
make up the solum, or “true soil”

• C horizon—partially altered parent

material
– Parent material is difficult to identify in the O,
A, E, and B horizons
Soil Horizons
 Soil: The Interface of
Air, Minerals, Water and Life

An ideal soil in good condition for plant growth

would have a volume composition of about:
• 50% solid (about 45% mineral and 5%
organic matter)
• 50% pore space (about half filled with air and
half with water).

Pore space is particularly important for the

organisms living in soil.
Volume composition of a loam surface soil when conditions are good
for plant growth. A nearly equal proportion of air and water is
generally ideal for plant growth.
 Partly Saturated Soil Showing
Particle – Water – Air Relationships
 Soil Organic Matter
• Soil organic matter generally accounts
for only 1 to 6% of a soil's dry weight, but
greatly influences nearly all soil properties
and uses.
• Humus, dark brown or black, is a
collection of organic compounds
accumulated in soil when partially broken
down plant and animal residues are
protected from complete decay.
 Soil Water: A Dynamic Solution
Water in the soil is different from the water
encountered in everyday life, for two reasons:
(1)the liquid properties of soil water are
modified by the attraction between water
molecules and soil particles and
(2)the water in the soil is never pure, but
always has a tremendous variety of
substances dissolved in it.
 pH of the soil solution

Adopted from The Nature and Properties of Soils, 15th Edition, by Ray R. Weil and Nyle C. Brady
 Soil Air:
A Changing Mixture of Gases
• Soil air is different from atmospheric air
because carbon dioxide is produced and
oxygen is used up by soil organisms.
• Soil air is generally several times more
concentrated in carbon dioxide than is
atmospheric air.
• The exchange of gases with the
atmosphere is of critical importance to
plants.
Interaction of Four Components
to Supply Plant Nutrients
• Mineral weathering and organic matter
decomposition release nutrient elements
from unavailable storage forms to more
available adsorbed or dissolved forms.
• The great bulk of most soil nutrients is
present in unavailable forms stored in the
solid framework of the soil.
 Nutrient Uptake by Plant Roots
• Soluble nutrients reach plant roots from
the bulk soil by
– root interception
– mass flow
– diffusion
• Nutrients are taken up into the root by a
biologically active carrier mechanism
that transports nutrient ions across cell
membranes.
 Soil Quality,
Degradation and Resilience
• Soil quality is a measure of the ability of a
soil to carry out ecological functions, such as
plant growth, water supply, and nutrient
recycling.
• Soil degradation: Soil erosion, salt
accumulation, nutrient depletion and organic
matter depletion are some of the processes
by which poor management can lead to soil
degradation.
• Soil resilience: Some soils are more
resilient than other as evidenced by their
ability to recover their quality more rapidly
after such disturbances.
 Biofuels debate
(to be continued)
Nearly half (47%) of
Iowa corn goes into
ethanol production,
according to the Iowa
Corn Promotion Board.

Presidential candidates
who don’t support the
renewable fuel
standards will not do well
in the Iowa caucuses.