What is Soil?

What is Soil?

A dynamic natural body composed of mineral and

organic materials and living forms in which plants
grow. The collection of natural bodies occupying parts
of the earth’s surface that support plants and have
varying properties due to the integrated effects of
climate and life acting upon geologic materials,
mediated by relief (topography) and time

Brady and Weil, 2000

What is Soil?

Agronomist
Forester
Horticulturalist
Engineer
Environmentalist
Ecologist
 Functions of Soil

Medium for plant growth

Regulator of water supplies

Recycler of raw materials

Habitat for soil organisms

Engineering medium
Fundamental Components of Soil
Idealized Surface Soil

Voids Solids
Avenues Interactive Media
Storage Minerals
Distribution Organic matter
Movement Reactivity
Components of Soil

Gases ~ 25%

Atmosphere Soil Atmosphere

Oxygen: 21% 5-10%

Carbon Dioxide: 0.038% 0.3-3%

Microorganisms tend to reduce oxygen and enrich carbon dioxide

 Components of Soil

Liquid ~ 25%

Dissolved and Suspended Constituents

Nutrients
Metals
Salts
Acids/Bases Solid Phase
Organic Compounds
Contaminants
Gases
 Components of Soil

Mineral + Organic ~ 50%

Solid soil particles and organic matter

Organic: decomposed plant and animal material

Mineral: Sands, silts, clays, oxides (Al and Fe)

• reactivity
• Water movement/retention
Organic
 Organic Matter

Mineral Soil Organic Soil

< 20% O.M. > 20% O.M.

5% >50%
 Organic Matter

Generalizations

• Soil color – the darker the color, the more OM.

• Soil structure –
• Soil nutrients –organically derived (P, S, N, Ca, Mg, K).
• Energy sources – energy for soil organisms.
• Soil Water – increases water holding capacity
• Soil reactivity – increases chemical reactivity of soils
Mineral
Components of Soil Mineral ~ 45%

Rocks, stones, gravel, particles, aggregates

Particles: primary minerals (quartz, feldspars)

secondary minerals (clays, oxides)

Rocks Primary Minerals Secondary Minerals

Can be highly reactive

Soil Formation and
Morphology
Basics
 Processes

Additions
Losses
Translocations
Transformations
Soil as a Natural Body
Differentiation
Additions

Losses

Translocations
Parent Material

Transformations

Bedrock Bedrock
The Essentials of Soils

Soil Profile – 2D representation

of a vertical section of soil from
the surface to its deepest
layers.

Differentiation of layers
Is highly variable.

Soil Profile
Soil Horizons

Roughly parallel layers in the soil

with varying composition and properties
Soil Master Horizons
Master Horizons

A horizon [
The A Horizon
• topsoil/plow layer. A horizon
• Accumulates organic
material
A horizon
• Often darker than soil
below.
• high in plant roots,
biotic activity
• Zone of gas and water
exchange
Master Horizons

A horizon
B horizon [
The B Horizon
- Accumulates material transported
from above, or forms in place.
(translocation, transformation)

- Zone of Illuviation (translocation).

- clays, O.M., Fe/Al oxides, salts

• good soil structure
• Strong color development B horizon
• Potentially high reactivity
Master Horizons

A horizon
B horizon

C horizon [
 The C horizon

-Weakly altered by soil

forming processes.
-Closely resembles parent
material C horizon
Master Horizons

A horizon
E horizon
B horizon

C horizon
The E horizon

- Zone of Eluviation A horizon

Eluviation = exit
E horizon
Illuviation = into (Elluvial)
•Organic matter
•Clay
•Carbonates B horizon
•Fe, Al oxides (Illuvial)
•color
Master Horizons

A horizon
E horizon
B horizon

C horizon

R Horizon
 The R Horizon

limestone R horizon
 The O Horizon
• Surface Horizon
• Organic horizon
Non-mineral
dark-colored
• Often called peat, muck
• Some are very fertile, valuable
• In some countries, O horizon
used as fuel.
O Horizon
 Soil Horizons
O horizon
O horizon Master Horizons
A horizon
 O organic
A horizon
E horizon  A topsoil
B
E horizon
horizon  E elluvial
 B developed
C horizon
 C parent material
B horizon
 R bedrock
R Horizon
Soil Profiles
Delineating Soil Horizons
(gambaran horizon tanah)
Criteria for Characterizing
Soil Horizons
Color
Texture
Density
Structure
Organic matter
Mineralogy
Chemistry
Soil Physical Properties
Soil Color
 Soil Color
Determinants

• Mineralogy of the soil/parent

material
• Relative amount of organic
matter or iron
• Hydrology of the soil
• Oxygen status
Soil Color Determination
 Munsell Soil Color

Hue
dominant spectral color;
related to the wavelength
of light. Related to the
proportions of red to yellow.

Value
related to total
amount of light Chroma
reflected. measure of the strength
of spectral color
Soil Color
Hue = 10 YR
Value = 6
Chroma = 3

Munsell Color
10 YR 6/3
 Summary
Hue dictates dominant
spectral color for a given
page.

Low value indicates

dark soil colors. (O.M.?)

High chroma indicates

strong color expression

10YR 3/6
Communication
Water table depth
Oxygen status
Development decisions
Criteria for Characterizing
Horizons
Color
Texture
Density
Structure
Organic matter
Mineralogy
Chemistry