soil

1. SOIL: Make it Work for You! We Study Soil Because It’s A(n) Great integrator: all parts of ecosystem Producer and absorber of gases Medium for plant growth Medium of crop production Home to organisms (plants, animals and others) Waste decomposer Snapshot of geologic, climatic, biological, and human history Source material for construction, medicine, art, etc. Filter of water and wastes Essential natural resource

2. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Soil Forming Factors Parent Material Topography (The first four factors over) Time Climate Biota These five factors work together to create a unique soil profile made of layers called horizons.

7. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Soil Texture: Relative Size Comparison of Soil Particles frisbee Silt (feels floury) dime Clay (feels sticky) (0.05 - 0.002 mm, USDA) (0.02 - 0.002 mm, ISSS) (< 0.002 mm, USDA) (< 0.002 mm, ISSS) beachball Sand (feels gritty) (2.00 - 0.05 mm, USDA) (2.00 - 0.02 mm, ISSS)

8. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Triangle Key: S = sand or sandy Si = silt or silty C = clay L = loam or loamy Soil Texture Triangle SiCL % Sand % Silt % Clay S LS SL L SiL Si CL SiC C SC SCL 0 100 100 100 0 0

11. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Soil Consistence Loose* Extremely Firm Firm Friable * Soils with “single grained” structure always have loose consistence.

14. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Soil Structure: with Structure Granular Blocky Prismatic Columnar Platy

15. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Single Grained Massive Soil Structure: without Structure

16. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Bulk Density: a measure of soil compaction To calculate Bulk Density: 1 cm. (so, there is 1 cubic centimeter of soil) Sample is made of Solids and Pore Spaces 1.33 gms. Volume = 1 cm 3 Weight = 1.33 gms Bulk Density = 1.33 1 Bulk Density = 1.33 gms / cm 3 Bulk Density = Weight of Soil Volume of Soil

17. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Bulk Density & Compaction Zones 8 inches 1.43 0 inches 7 inches 9 inches 10 inches Depth Bulk Density (grams / cm 3 1.90 1.87 1.84 1.80 1.60 Plow Layer Compacted Zone Uncompacted subsoil

18. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Basic Soil Components Soil Particles: Mineral and Organic Pore Spaces: location of air and water

20. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Relationship between soil texture and water availability Sand Sandy Loam Silt Loam Clay Loam Clay Inches of Water Per ft. of Soil 1 2 3 4 Permanent Wilting Percentage Field Capacity Available Water

21. SOIL: Make it Work for You! At Saturation At “Available Water Soil at Different Moisture Levels: Pore Space Water on soil particle surface Pore Spaces are filled with water

22. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Soil at Different Moisture Levels: At Permanent Wilt Compacted No water remains attached to soil particles Pore spaces are collapsed

23. Compacted Zone Impermeable Layer SOIL: Make it Work for You! H 2 O H 2 O Non-Compacted Compacted

24. Sand Over Clay Impermeable Layer SOIL: Make it Work for You! H 2 O H 2 O

25. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Perched Water Table Clay Over Sand H 2 O H 2 O

35. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Characterization and Sampling Options Soil Pit Exposed Profile (road cut)

39. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Chemistry Made Simple: The Atom Hydrogen - The Nucleus = positive charge The Electron = negative charge (+)

40. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Chemistry Made Simple: The Atom Hydrogen (+) - The Nucleus = positive charge

41. SOIL: Make it Work for You! A Water Molecule H 2 O Hydrogen Hydrogen Oxygen (+) (+) (+)

44. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Common soil cations and anions, their chemical symbols and ionic forms

45. SOIL: Make it Work for You! The Chemistry of Clay: Clay Particle - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Clay particles carry negative charges

46. SOIL: Make it Work for You! With Magnets - - + - Unlikes Attract Likes Repel In Soil + - + + CLAY NH 4 + Ammonium CLAY K+ Potasium CLAY NO 3 - Nitrate

49. SOIL: Make it Work for You!

50. Possible pH Ranges Under Natural Soil Conditions black walnut: 6.0-8.0 Most desirable carrot: 5.5-7.0 cucumber: 5.5-7.0 spinach: 6.0-7.5 tomato: 5.5-7.5 white pine: 4.5-6.0 Very strong Strong Moderate Slight Slight Moderate Strong Very strong Neutral Acid Basic 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 12 13 14 Most agricultural soils Extreme pH range for most mineral soils cranberry:4.2-5.0 apple: 5.0-6.5

51. SOIL: Make it Work for You! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Al +3 - - - K + Clay Particle Soil reactions in neutral to high (alkaline) pH conditions Clay and organic particles have a negative charge - - - - Mg +2 H + Mg +2 K + H + Ca +2 Ca +2 PO 4 -3 NO 3 - NO 3 -

52. SOIL: Make it Work for You! Soil reactions in low (acid) pH conditions Clay and organic particles have a negative charge - - - - H + H + Al +3 K + H + Al +3 Al +3 PO 4 -3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Al +3 - - - K + Clay Particle NO 3 - NO 3 -