- Definition of Soil
A collection of natural bodies on the earth's surface, containing living matter, and supporting or capable of supporting plants. - Limits
- Upper Limit- generally considered as air or water
![upperlimit]()
- Lateral Limit- deep water or barren areas of rock, ice, salt, or shifting desert sand dunes
![lateral limit]()
Sediments at depths greater than where emergent plants grow is not considered as soil.![soil not a soil]()
- Lower Limit - difficult to define, but generally thought of as the common rooting depth (shallow in deserts, deep in humid tropics) of the native perennial plant
![lower limit]()
- Upper Limit- generally considered as air or water
- Two concepts of Soils:
- Pedology - study of soil as a natural entity - origin, classification and description.
- Edaphology - study of soil from the standpoint of plant growth.
A person's concept of soil depends on his/her viewpoint and experience.- Engineer - loose or broken rock material at the earth's surface. This material can be used for building purposes.
- Geologist - highly weathered rock. Part of the material that makes up outer mantle of the earth.
- Horticulteralist - material that needs sterilizing and modification before using for plant growth in greenhouses.
- Turf Specialist - material that supports foot and cart traffic, grows grass, and will provide a good fairway or putting surface. Will modify it to suit their needs.
- Farmer and Agronomist - material at earth's surface with biological, chemical, and physical properties that enable it to support plant growth.
- Pedology - study of soil as a natural entity - origin, classification and description.
- Types of Soil
There are two general types of soil:- Mineral
- forms from rock and sediment
- most soils form from minerals and are called mineral soils
- Organic
- forms from peat, muck, and plant remains
- may form in swamps or very wet areas
example--the blacklands of NC
- Mineral
- Mineral Soils
- 4 major components of mineral soils
- Mineral material
- Organic Material
- Water
- Air
![soil components]()
Ideal Soil - Mineral soils are made of:
- Solids
- mineral part -- mineral particles, sand, silt, and clay, fertilizers, chemicals
- organic part -- plant material, decomposing microorganisms, worms, peat moss
- Pores
- Air
- Water
All of these parts together make up soil. Since soil is a medium for plant growth, we have to ask what is the best mixture for plant growth. What would be the ideal soil for plant growth?
When a balance is not maintained problems occur:- too much water -- flooding
- not enough water -- dry soil, problems that we see now.
- not enough air -- compact soil that will not grow plants
- Solids
- 4 major components of mineral soils
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Definition of Soil
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