Soil Resources

Soil

It is a mixture of weathered rock fragments, mineral grains, organic debris and the

presence of moisture.

PEDOLOGY – it is the study of different kinds of soil and characteristics.

There are forces that are originally from beyond earth responsible for the process of weathering and erosion that shapes
the earth’s surface. It helps by water, wind, and living organisms.

Regolith

It is made of rock and fragments.

It also supports plants for its growth which supplies nutrients important to other organisms including human.

The development of soil through series of processes known as PEDOGENESIS

Soil process are really SLOW, it takes years to develop.

Layers of the Soil

Factors that Controls Soil Formation

PARENT MATERIAL

 It can be a bedrock or a layer of unconsolidated deposits.

TIME

 Nature of soil is strongly influence by the length of time that process have been operating
 The longer the soil has been forming the thicker it becomes and the less it resembles the parent material.

CLIMATE

 Most influential control of soil formation, temperature and precipitation exert the strongest impact on soil
formation
 Variation in temperature and precipitation whether chemical or mechanical weathering predominates.
 A hot, wet climate may produce a thick layer of chemically weathered soil in the same amount of time that a
cold, dry climate produces a thin layer of mechanically weathered debris.
 The amount of precipitation influences the degree to which various materials are removed from the soil affecting
its fertility

 PLANTS AND ANIMALS

 the types and abundance of organisms present have a strong influence on the physical and chemical properties
of a soil
 the chief function of plants and animals is to furnish organic matter to the soil
 when organic matter decomposes, important nutrients are supplied to plants, as well as to animals and
microorganisms living in the soil
 microorganisms play an active role in the decay of plant and animal remains and some of them aid in soil fertility
by fixing atmospheric nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds
 earthworms and other burrowing animals act to mix the mineral and organic portions of a soil
 burrows and holes also aid in the passage of water and air through the soil

SLOPE OF THE LAND

 Slope has a significant impact on the amount of erosion and the water content of the soil
 On steep slopes, soils are often poorly developed little water can soak in so soil moisture maybe insufficient for
plant growth
 Poorly drained and water-logged soils in bottomlands are usually thick and dark because of organic matter that
accumulates
 Conditions retard the decay of vegetation
 COMPOSITION OF THE SOIL
 The more fertile the soil means it is very good to the growth and development of every vegetation (whether
vegetables, flowering plants, and ornamental plants).
 Here are things to consider when it comes to the achievement of this quality of the soil such as;
 its components of the soil itself and the pH of the soil.
 the good type of soil for plant growth requirements is the humus.
 Humus consists of large amount of organic matter that enhances the soil composition.

Composition
Mineral Matter
Organic Matter
25% Air
45% Water
25%
5%

WEATHERING

WE KNOW THAT…

Rocks are naturally occurring mass of different kinds of minerals. It can be classified into different kinds such as
igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. These rocks are classified based on their composition and the process
of its formation. Igneous are formed from volcanic materials, sedimentary rocks are result of the cementation of
different sediments to form a new rock and metamorphic rocks are produced through exposure of parent rock which
can be an igneous, sedimentary or another metamorphic rock to intense temperature and pressure.

A rock disintegrates or even dissolves because a chemical reaction changes the composition of the rock. When
certain types of rock come in contact with rainwater, a chemical reaction occurs, slowly transforming the rock into
substances that dissolve in water.

WEATHERING

Weathering is the process of breakdown of rocks at the Earth’s surface, by the action of water, ice, acids, salts, plants,
animals, gravity and changing temperatures.

Three types of Weathering

 Physical Weathering
 Chemical Weathering
 Biological Weathering

Agents of Weathering
Water - Either in liquid or solid form is one of the agents of mechanical weathering. In liquid form, it seeped into
cracks and crevices of rocks and when the temperature dropped, it freezes and definitely will expand in the form
of ice. The ice then works as a wedge which slowly widens the cracks and splits the rock. When the ice melts, the
liquid water performs the act of erosion by carrying away the tiny rock fragments lost in the split.

Salt - In the process of haloclasty, salts served as an agent of weathering. Saltwater sometimes gets into the
cracks and pores of rock. When it evaporates, salt crystals are left behind and grow in the cracks and pores which
caused pressure on the rock and slowly break it apart.

Temperature –
Temperature changes can also contribute to weathering through the process called thermal stress. During thermal stress,
rock tend to expand with heat and contract with low temperature. As this happens repeatedly, the structure of the rock
weakens and over time crumbles.

Plants - Plants also served as agents of weathering. Its contribution take place when the seed of a tree being spread in
the environment sprout in soil that has collected in a cracked rock. As the roots grow, they widen the cracks, eventually
breaking the rock into pieces. Over time, trees can break apart even large rocks. Even small plants, such as mosses, can
enlarge tiny cracks as they grow.

Animals - Animals that tunnel underground, such as moles and prairie dogs, also work to break apart rock and soil. Other
animals dig and trample rock aboveground, causing rock to slowly crumble

Types of Weathering

Physical Weathering

is caused by the effects of changing temperatures on rocks, causing the rock to break apart. The process is sometimes
assisted by water. It happens especially in places where there is little soil and few plants grow, such as in mountain
regions and hot deserts. It occurs either through repeated melting and freezing of water (mountains and tundra) or
through expansion and contraction of the surface layer of rocks that are baked by the sun (hot deserts)

Types of Physical Weathering

Abrasion - It occurs when rocks surface is frequently exposed to water, wind and gravity.

Freeze-thaw - It occurs when water continually seeps into cracks, freezes and expands, eventually breaking the rock
apart. It occurs in mountainous regions like the Alps or Snowdonia

Exfoliation - It can happen as cracks develop parallel to the land surface as a consequence of the reduction in pressure
during uplift and erosion. It occurs typically in upland areas where there are exposures of uniform coarsely crystalline
igneous rocks.

Chemical Weathering

is caused by rainwater reacting with the mineral grains in rocks to form new minerals (clays) and soluble salts. These
reactions occur particularly when the water is slightly acidic. These chemical processes need water, and occur more
rapidly at higher temperature, so warm, damp climates are best. Chemical weathering (especially hydrolysis and
oxidation) is the first stage in the production of soils.

Types of Chemical Weathering

Carbonation - carbon dioxide in the air dissolves in rainwater and becomes weakly acidic. This weak “carbonic acid” can
dissolve limestone as it seeps into cracks and cavities. Over many years, solution of the rock can form spectacular cave
systems

Hydrolysis - the breakdown of rock by acidic water to produce clay and soluble salts. Hydrolysis takes place when acid
rain reacts with rock-forming minerals such as feldspar to produce clay and salts that are removed in solution.

Hydration - a type of chemical weathering where water reacts chemically with the rocks, modifying its chemical
structure. Example: H2O (water) is added to CaSO4 (calcium sulfate) to create CaSO4 + 2H2O (calcium sulfate dihydrate).
It changes from anhydrite to gypsum.

Oxidation - the breakdown of rock by oxygen and water, often giving iron- rich rocks a rusty-colored weathered surface.

Biological

Biological weathering of rocks occurs when rocks are weakened by different biological agents like plants and animals.
When plant roots grow through rocks, it creates fracture and cracks that result eventually to rock breakage.

Biological Weathering by Physical Means - Burrowing animals like shrews, moles and earthworms create holes on the
ground by excavation and move the rock fragments to the surface. These fragments become more exposed to other
environmental factors that can further enhance their weathering. Furthermore, humans also indirectly contribute to
biological weathering by different activities that cause rocks to break.

Biological Weathering by Chemical Compounds - Some plants and animals also produced acidic substances that react
with the rock and cause its slow disintegration.