Soil Development and Formation - Case Study Example

Introduction Soil defines an amalgamation of minerals, gases, liquids, organic matter, and myriad organisms. All these components collectively support the plant life thus soil as a resource provides food security to human race. Plants grow and obtain water and nutrients from the soil. Besides importance to plants, it forms habitat to many animals and insects. Soil forms coverage of the Earth with interfaces of hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and atmosphere. It consists of mineral, organic matter and the porous layers that continuously hold water and gases in the soil. The paper focuses on soil development, color, texture, pH and structure. Soil Development Soil development and formation is a dynamic process than static. Weathering is the process of soil formation and development. Soil weathering is the changing minerals and rocks change through both physically and chemically into the four components. Thus, soil weathering refers the integral process of soil development (Hillel 15). Soil undergoes development with numerous chemical, physical and biological formations to enhance the main process of weathering with erosion-associated type of activity (Huggett 163). There are five major soil- forming factors identified scientifically over time in the development of soil. These factors include topography, living organisms, climate, parent materials and time (Fullen and Catt 5). Parent materials are made of minerals and rocks. As mentioned the integral soil development process is weathering thus, when the four soil-forming factors undergo weathering to form smaller particles, which eventually results into soil. It is the basic soil development model. Physical and chemical processes constitute the process of soil formation. The processes include change in temperature, thawing and freezing and erosion by ice, water and gravity. Others that relate to water are drying and wetting. Chemical changes in volume and composition, and burrowing living organisms contribute to soil formation (Chesworth 34). The second factor that influences soil formation is climate. In the same way as other factors involved in soil formation, climate varies hence influence soil development over time (Oard, Reed, and Hutchinson 72). For instance, the process of precipitation during soil formation results from climate change. Rain is a climate phenomenon influencing the amount of water available in the soil. As water enters the soil, it initiates movements of calcium and chemical compounds of the soil. Passage of water during erosion process removes chemicals and initiates the weathering process (Natural & Applied Sciences 10:02). Precipitation greatly influences vegetation thus dictating organic matter of the soil. Thus, climate greatly contributes to soil development. Living organisms influence the process of soil development. Vegetation is the major form of living things that largely contributes to soil development. The effect of vegetation is through the root systems that penetrate the soil particles. Different vegetation affects soil formation based on the type of the root system. For instance the kind of soil formed under the dress differ from the soil formed beneath grass thus serving as an evidence of soil development being influenced by living organism. Another factor that influences weathering is topography of an area (Nichols 96). It affects moisture-temperature relationship in the soil. Plants tend to grow places where there is enough moisture and relatively low temperatures for water preservation mechanism. Moisture-temperature relations affect the type of plant roots in an area and dictate the amount of organic matter within the soil that consequently influences soil development (Hammerson 96). Time is a very important factor in soil formation process. Duration of exposure of parent materials to moisture or heat has influence on the nature of soil formed. Duration of exposure is directly proportional to the intensity of the process of weathering (Chesworth 34). In situations of prolonged exposure, the texture of soil is usually fine. The reverse is true. Soil Color Quantity of organic matter available in the soil is responsible for the final color of soil. There are four types of soil color scientifically identified in the study of soil. They include yellow, red, dark brown and black soil colors (Osman 49). Yellow or the red soil indicates iron oxides present in that type of soil while the black or dark brown soils signify the content of organic matter in that specific soil (Fota 67). However, the wet soil will always appear dark than the dry soil (Henry and Twilley 1273). Soil color development results from biological and chemical weathering commonly in redox reactions. The parent materials contain elements that have colorful components and chemicals; thus during weathering process forming the soil colors. Presence of particular minerals may also contribute to the soil color that exists in some parts. For instance, Manganese Oxide result into a black color, Calcite may make soil in the deserts to appear white and glauconite confers green color to soil. Soil Texture Soil texture is the measure of relative proportions various soil particles in that particular soil. It is the estimation of relative amounts of silt, sand and clay particles in soil. Physical and chemical processes that occur in soil affect the soil texture. The processes result in different textures of soil. Mineral components of the parent materials undergo changes during the process of soil formation. They result into different soil texture that leads to the classification of soil as sand, clay or silt. Soil texture affects availability of air, nutrients, water, and the movement of the soil components in the soil. It is also crucial in determining and estimating other soil properties including water retention properties. The simplest way to measure soil texture is the use of sense of touch to feel the roughness or smoothness of soil. Soil Structure Soil structure entails the arrangement of solid soil particles into units termed as soil aggregates. Soil structure depends on the parent materials. These soil structures affect the occurrence of soil pores that hold air and water (Leake and Haege 59). The soil structure also affects root growth, seedling emergence as well as biological activities of the soil. Human activities such as cultivation greatly affected the soil structure negatively. The continued cultivation is responsible for destruction of the soil layers as a result there is development of impermeable, compacted pans of the soil. As a result, there is low productivity in agricultural activities especially in the horticultural sector. Through improving soil structure, there is higher potential of increasing horticultural yields by 2 to 3 percent. Preservation of the soil structure is vital in agriculture productivity. Soil PH Soil pH refers to the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. It is the ratio of the positively charged ions to the negatively charged ions in soil. While the pH relates to measure by H+ ions, the Al3+ provides extra H+ ions to form water (H2O). Alkalinity of soil result of concentration of base ions such as Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Sodium (Malik and Grohmann 44). The accumulation of these base ions in the soil with the reaction of available water in the soil form basic solution. Addition of artificial fertilizers to soil in a bid to improve yields alters the balance of ions in the soil. Conclusion The process of soil development depends on many factors. The nature of soil varies according to regions due to the factors that affect the process of weathering. Due to the variance of the factors in different regions, different soil types exist in different parts of the earth. Soil color, texture, pH, structure and color vary based on the climate prevailing in a region. The nature of soil affects its suitability for use in agriculture. Over the years, compromise of the soil nature through human activities occasioned the reduction in fertility and death of organisms that inhabit soil. Works Cited Chesworth, Ward. Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Dordrecht: Springer, 2008. Print. Fota, O, Craioveanu, G, Carigoiu, V, Sirbu, L, & Popescu, D. "The Red Soils From The Subcarpathian Depression Of Oltenia." Research Journal of Agricultural Science 46.2 (2014): 67-83. Academic Search Premier. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. Frouz, Jan. Soil Biota and Ecosystem Development in Post Mining Sites. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, 2014. Print. Fullen, Michael A and Catt, John A. Soil Management: Problems and Solutions. London: Routledge, 2014. Print. Hall, Roger. Soil Essentials: Managing Your Farms Primary Asset. Collingwood, Vic: CSIRO Publishing, 2007. Print. Hammerson, Geoffrey A. Connecticut Wildlife: Biodiversity, Natural History, and Conservation. Hanover: University Press of New England, 2004. Print. Henry, Kelly M., and Twilley, Robert R.. "Soil Development in a Coastal Louisiana Wetland during a Climate-Induced Vegetation Shift from Salt Marsh to Mangrove." Journal of Coastal Research 29.6 (2013): 1273-1283. Academic Search Premier. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. Hillel, Daniel. Soil in the Environment: Crucible of Terrestrial Life. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Academic Press, 2008. Print. Huggett, Richard. Fundamentals of Geomorphology. London:Routledge, 2011. Print. Malik, Abdul, and Grohmann, Elisabeth. Environmental Protection Strategies for Sustainable Development. Dordrecht: Springer, 2011. Print. Natural & Applied Sciences. Soil Development and Weathering. You Tube Video Clip. September 11, 2014. Web. February 23, 2015. Accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crJR3jLfnBM Nichols, Gary. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 2008. Print. Oard, Michael J, John K. Reed, and Aaron Hutchinson. Rock Solid Answers: The Biblical Truth Behind 14 Geologic Questions. Green Forest, Ark: Master Books, 2009. Print. Osman, Khan T. Forest Soils: Properties and Management. Cham : Springer, 2013. Print. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Soil education: The color of Soil. Natural Resources Conservation Service Soils. 2015. Web. February 21, 2015. Accessed from http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/edu/?cid=nrcs142p2_054286 Read More