Chapter 9 Soil: A Natural Resource

 Soil is the topmost layer of the Earth which is a mixture of organic material, clay and
rock particles that supports life and contains air and water. It forms one of the most
important natural resources on the Earth as it's essential for the food production,
fodder cultivation and mining of minerals and fuel.
 Weathering is the process of breaking down of rocks or other materials which are
water, wind and temperature into small particles due to long exposure to the different
factors of atmosphere due to which soil is formed which are also taken far away by
wind, water and moving glaciers.
 Alternate healing and cooling due to the heat of the sun and rain causes the rocks to
crack which get filled with water and freezes due to severe cold and after freezing ice
breaks the rocks into smaller pieces by sheer pressure due to expansion. Day and night
variations and the action of wind and flowing water add to the weathering process
which is slow and continuous which millions of years for the formation of soil but
converts the rocks into soil which makes middle that animals mixes with the dead plants
and animals to form animals.
 Soil which is generally dark brown and colour is formed by weathering of rocks so it
contains various mineral such as nitrate, sulphate and phosphate present in the parent
rock and humus which is formed by the decomposition of dead and organic matter
derived mainly from fallen leaves or other plant and animal matter and make soil fertile
as it has the ability to hold water for plants to grow soil has some microbes of which
help in breaking down dead matter and convert it into humus, water for all the life
sustaining activities and air for the respiration of plants through their roots.
 Soil profile is the vertical section of soil from surface to parent rock with the different
layers of called horizons.
 The O-horizon is about one inch thick mainly contains dead organic matter, which later
decomposes to form humus.
 The A-horizon forms the topsoil. This layer consists of humus and minerals and is dark in
colour which very important for healthy growth of plants and provides shelter to many
decomposers such as microbes and worms. It is soft, porous and holds a lot of water.
 E-horizon is the intersection layer containing sand and silt particles between the A-
horizon and B-horizon.
 B-horizon forms the subsoil where plant roots generally grow till this layer. It is lighter in
colour as it does not have much humus and is rich in minerals due to deposits of
minerals released from percolating water.
 C-horizon is the parent rock layer through which roots can’t penetrate due to fragments
broken down from the bed rock This layer lacks humus and is infertile so the rain water
gets collected in this layer in the form of groundwater
 R-horizon also known as the bedrock the hard rocky base of unweathered rocks, which
slowly undergoes weathering and forms the C-horizon and water can’t penetrate
through this layer.
 Sandy Soil is usually formed from rocks such as limestone, granite and shale which are
easily visible and have a gritty structure. It contains more than 60% sand and less than
 10% clay. Particles. Space between the particles is greater than 0.2 mm TF this soil can
hold air, but its water-holding capacity is very less so it’s used for construction of
buildings along with cementing material.
 Clayey Soil contains more than 60% clay and has fine particles. The size of particles is
around 0.002 mm. So it has a very good water-retaining capacity of the soil but can’t
hold air for breathing of plant roots. It naturally forms lumps with water and is
therefore used for pottery and making bricks.
 Loamy Soil consists of 40% sand, 20% clay, and 40% silt and humus. The particle size
varies between the size of sandy (0.2 mm) and clayey (0.002 mm) soil. So it is gritty as
well as smooth and the space between particles is such that it can hold water as well as
air. So it is considered the best soil for farming and gardening.
 Percolation rate is the time taken by water to pass through any type of soil which
enables us to study whether the soil would allow a rapid drainage of water or hold it for
a long time and tell us which soil is more suitable for plant growth. If water drains too
fast, it is hardly available to the plants unless the plants have a very deep root system
that can obtain water directly from the water table. Soils with very small particles tend
to provide a sticky area for water thereby retaining it for longer periods. Such soils are
poorly aerated and hence are not the best soil for plant growth. The ability of the soil to
retain water is also called its water absorption ability. It is calculated using the formula
Amount of water
given alongside. Percolation Rate = Percolation Time
 You will need samples of sandy, loamy and clayey soil, funnels, filter paper and
measuring cylinders. Weigh about 25 g of each soil sample. Take three funnels and
insert filter paper cones into each one ensuring that the filter paper is moist so that the
water, which will be poured into soil, is not used up in wetting the filter paper. Place
each soil sample into the funnel with the filter paper. Place these funnels on top of the
measuring cylinders and pour 50 ml water over each soil sample. Record that as the
zero reading. Allow the water to seep through the soil samples. Your last reading will be
when no more drops of water come out of the funnel into the measuring cylinder.
 Calculations:
1. Calculate the percolation rate for each sample using the following formula:
2. Volume of water collected in the measuring cylinder ( y)=
3. Time taken for y amount of water to collect into the measuring cylinder (t)= minutes
y ml
 Percolation rate = t min
 Calculate the water-holding capacities of the soil samples using the following formula:
1. Volume of water poured into soil sample ( x )=_________
2. Volume of water collected in measuring cylinder ( y )=_______
3. Amount of soil taken ( g)=
( x+ y ) ×100
4. Water holding capacity = =¿ %
g
 The amount of water present in a soil depends on its percolation rate. Different soils
have different amounts of moisture present in them.
 Many creatures or microbes inhabit the soil. Some worms and insects, Bacteria, fungi,
algae and protozoa in the soil help improve the fertility of soil by decomposing the
 organic matter into simple inorganic compounds and fixing the atmospheric nitrogen
into nitrogenous compounds. also help in improving fertility of the soil. Earthworms,
commonly called the friend of farmers, ingest the soil and excrete it after digesting its
organic matter. Worms also help by burrowing the soil. Ants, beetles, centipedes,
rabbits and moles are some other animals that live in the soil.
 Microorganisms in a handful of soil than there are people on Earth.
 The type and properties of soil determine the type of crops that can be grown in a
particular region. Clayey and loamy soil have a good water-retaining capacity so cereals
and vegetable crops are grown in this type of soil. Soil rich in clay is good for growing
paddy due to its ideal water retaining capacity, whereas loamy soil is suitable for
growing pulses and other lentils. Cotton does not require excess of water Therefore, it is
grown in black soil which has more sand content than loamy soil. Soil rich in humus
supports proper growth of plants
 Soil Erosion is the gradual removal of the topsoil by the action of flowing water, wind,
waves and snow. Factor affecting soil erosion are both natural as well as caused by
humans. Some of those factors are as follows:
 Heavy rains and floods make the soil particles loose and lead to soil erosion.
 Deforestation loosens the particles in soil and leads to easy erosion of soil by wind and
water increasing the chances of floods due to barren land which is why the areas with
low vegetation suffer from more erosion of soil.
 Poor farming methods adopted by farmers also add up to soil erosion.
 Overgrazing by animals, construction of roads and houses have led to increase in the
pace of soil erosion.
 Soil pollution is a pollution caused by the contamination of soil by presence of man-
made chemicals or other non-desirable substances. Some of the causes of soil pollution
are listed here:
 Excessive use of pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers is the major cause of soil pollution
 Excretory products of living organisms and untreated sewage water also pollute the soil.
 Plastic waste does not decay and hence pollutes the soil.
 Salination degrades the quality of soil
 Soil erosion is not the same as soil pollution. The former removes top soil, while the
latter destroys soil quality.
 Protection of soil against erosion and degradation is called soil conservation which can
be done by:
 Afforestation or planting of trees and plants as the roots of plants and trees bind the
soil particles and prevent erosion.
 Terrace farming is a practice of farming followed by farmers on hilly area in which they
build steps called terraces on hillsides to prevent soil erosion.
 Following crop rotation,
 Building of dams and embankments to control flood.