soil
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Soil. Let’s dig in!. Soil Exam. General Study Questions form the Soil Survey Soil Pit - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Soil
Let’s dig in!
General Study Questions form the Soil Survey Soil Pit
Soil is a living naturally occurring dynamic system at the interface of air and rock. Soil forms in response to forces of climate and organisms that act on the parent material in a specific landscape (topography) over a period of time
Soil Exam
Food Fiber Fuel Buildings Recyles and detoxifies waste
Soil = 6 feet deep 1 rsp of soil = 50 billion living things
Importance of Soil
Soil Profile
What is soil composed
of?
Soil is composed of three main
elements: Sand Clay Silt
The amount or percentage of each element determines the soil's texture
Soil texture
Determine the
texture
Sand = feels gritty Silt = feels floury Clay = sticky when wet
Loams = mixture of materialshttp://www.envirothonpa.org/pdfs/10%20-%20Soil%20Reference.pdf
Textures
Factors forming soil
Soil Structure
Topsoil – dark organic matter Subsoil = less organic matter Red soil = often high iron, well drained Wet soil = lack of O leads to grey colors
Soil Color
Soil pH range of 6 to 7 is most favorable
for plant growth Great diversity of pH in PA (more acidic
than alkaline) Low pH = add lime High pH = add sulfur or sulfuric acid
Soil pH
http
://soils.usda.gov/survey/online_surveys/pennsylvania/#york2003
Resources:http://www.envirothonpa.org/StationTraining2.html?tab=2#TabbedPanels1
Soil Survey