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    7-2 Soil Formation and Composition

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    Kelli McDaniel Marchbanks
    Soil is formed from weathered rock and organic materials and is composed of minerals, rocks, water, air, and organic matter. Soil formation occurs over long periods of time as parent rock is broken down and mixed with other materials on the surface by weathering processes. Soil has distinct horizontal layers called horizons that differ in properties like texture, color, and composition. Soil type depends on climate and parent material, and supports the growth of different plant communities.

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    7-2 Soil Formation and Composition

    Uploaded by

    Kelli McDaniel Marchbanks
    799 views9 pages
    Soil is formed from weathered rock and organic materials and is composed of minerals, rocks, water, air, and organic matter. Soil formation occurs over long periods of time as parent rock is broken down and mixed with other materials on the surface by weathering processes. Soil has distinct horizontal layers called horizons that differ in properties like texture, color, and composition. Soil type depends on climate and parent material, and supports the growth of different plant communities.

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    Soil is formed from weathered rock and organic materials and is composed of minerals, rocks, water, air, and organic matter. Soil formation occurs over long periods of time as parent rock is broken down and mixed with other materials on the surface by weathering processes. Soil has distinct horizontal layers called horizons that differ in properties like texture, color, and composition. Soil type depends on climate and parent material, and supports the growth of different plant communities.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    799 views9 pages

    7-2 Soil Formation and Composition

    Uploaded by

    Kelli McDaniel Marchbanks
    Soil is formed from weathered rock and organic materials and is composed of minerals, rocks, water, air, and organic matter. Soil formation occurs over long periods of time as parent rock is broken down and mixed with other materials on the surface by weathering processes. Soil has distinct horizontal layers called horizons that differ in properties like texture, color, and composition. Soil type depends on climate and parent material, and supports the growth of different plant communities.

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    Soil Formation and

    Composition
    Chapter 7 Section 2
    Soil Formation
     Soil Composition

     Soil- the loose,  Soil is a mixture of


    weathered material rock particles,
    on Earth’s surface in minerals, decayed
    which plants can organic material, air,
    grow and water
     Soil forms as rock is  Type of rock depends
    broken down by on the bedrock that
    weathering and was weathered to
    mixes with other form the soil and the
    materials on the type of weathering
    surface
     Bedrock- the solid
    layer of rock beneath
    the soil
    Soil Formation
    Soil Texture
     Soil Horizons

     Soil texture depends on  Soil horizon- a layer of


    the size of individual soil that differs in
    soil particles color and texture
     Largest to smallest: from the layers
     gravel > sand > silt > above or below it
    clay  Soil horizons are made
     Loam- soil that is made of topsoil, subsoil,
    up of about equal and weathered rock
    parts of clay, sand,
    and silt
     Soil texture is important
    for plant growth
    What are soil horizons???
    Soil horizon is a layer of soil that
    differs in color and texture from
    the layers above or below it
    The Rate of Soil Formation
    The rate at which soil forms
    depends on the climate and type
    of rock
    Weathering occurs more quickly
    in warm, wet climates
    Weathering in occurs slowly in
    hot, dry climates
    Life in Soil
     Some soil organisms mix the soil and make
    spaces in it for air and water
     Some soil organisms make humus, the
    material that makes soil fertile
     Litter- a loose layer formed by plants as they
    shed leaves
     Decomposition- occurs as organisms that live
    in soil turn dead organic matter into humus
     Decomposers- organisms that break the
    remains of dead organisms into smaller
    pieces and digest them with chemicals
     Fungus, protists, bacteria, and worms are
    decomposers
    Soil Types
    Soils are classified into groups
    based on the climate in a region
    Soils can be classified based on
    their soil composition- rocky,
    sandy, or rich in clay
    Major soil types of North America:
    forest, prairie, desert, mountain,
    tundra, and tropical soils
    Review
     What role does weathering play in the formation of
    soil?
     Soil forms as rock is broken down by weathering
    and mixes with other materials on the surface
     What are the different materials that make up soil?
     Rock particles, minerals, decayed organic material,
    air, and water
     How do plants and animals affect the formation
    composition of soil?
     Some soil organisms mix the soil and make spaces
    in it for air and water. Other soil organisms make
    humus.
    How do forest soils differ from prairie soils?

     Prairie soils have topsoil that is thick and rich in


    humus, while northern and southern forest soils may
    be low in humus
     Earthworms breathe by absorbing air in the soil

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