Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
5.1. Introduction to Soil Systems - Coggle Diagram
5.1. Introduction to Soil Systems
Soil as a System
Definition :
naturally occurring material on the earth surface that has been influenced by climate, macroorgainisms and microorgainisms
Why is soil a system ?
Soil carry out a wide range of functions that are critical to the functioning of the Earth as a whole system.
Soil profile to evaluate soil's function. Topsoil, Subsoil and Regolith.
Topsoil : contains biota (living creatures), inorganic materials
Soil have input,output and storage.
Input: decaying flora and fauna, minerals and precipitations
Output: Nutrients taken up by plants growing in the soil, nutrients losses through leaching
Transformation : decomposition, weathering and nutrient cycling
Transfers : biological mixing, leaching (minerals dissolved in water moving through soil)
How soil is formed ?
Interaction between litosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. Parent rock is the upper layer of litoshpere, where soil is created
Soil is created through weathering of parent rock. Weathering is the process of breaking down, torning down bedrock/parent rock
Different types of soil (Sand, Clay and Loam)
Sand
Advantage: Good water drainage, warm up quickly, easy to cultivate
Disadvantage : Weak water holding capacity, prone to wind erosion, does not retain minerals and nutrient
Clay:
Advantage : high water holding capacity ( retain moisture ), retains nutrient, stable
Disadvantage : Prone to waterlogging, hard for root to penetrate, bad aeration ( lack of oxygen supply to roots
Loam
Ideal type of soil because it consist of both sand and clay so the disadvantages complement each other
Many type of loam : Sandy loam, silty loam and clay loam
Advantages : ( Both advantages by sand and clay )
Soil type and primary productivity
Ranking of type of soils with the highest primary productivity. Loam,clay and sand
However, soil quality can be improve using soil conditioner
Characteristic of high primary productivity soil : good drainage, 6-6.8 ph, high availability of nutrient, good water holding capacity and contain decomposers