Download Sacred Balance Chapter 4 and Bonney Woods

Chapter 4
Made From the Soil
Sacred Balance Chapter 4 and
Bonney Woods/ Sandy River
 Soil Profile
 Soil Ph
 Soil biodiversity in the O horizon
 Tree Species biodiversity
Rock Cycle Terminology

Lava Flow out of volcano leads to crystallization of magma to form
igneous rock

Erosion caused by wind and rain of solid rock to form sediment

Transportation of sediments via rivers and streams

Deposition of sediments: sediments settle at the bottom of the ocean

Compaction and cementation: sediments compact due to pressure and
cement due to mineral accumulation forming sedimentary rock

Metamorphism: under heat and pressure sedimentary rock becomes
metamorphic rock

Melting of metamorphic rock
Rock Cycle
 Rock Cycle
 Rock cycle
 Process of Weathering and Erosion
 Responsible for the creation of soil
 Biodiversity: Diversity of Life
 Biodiversity of soil
 Increased soil biodiversity
 Increased tree biodiversity
From Rock to Soil

Creation of Soil (Adapted from: Wagner & Sanford, 2005)

Soil formation (pedogenesis) and the properties of the soils are the result of five key factors.
These factors are: Parent material: the material from which the soil is formed. Soil parent
material can be bedrock, organic material, or surficial deposits from water, wind, glaciers, or
volcanoes.

Climate: heat and moisture break down the parent material and affect how fast or slow the soil
processes go.

Organisms: all plants and animals living on or in the soil. The dead remains of plants and
animals become organic matter in the soil, and the animals living in the soil affect the
decomposition of organic materials.

Topography: the location of a soil on the landscape can affect how climatic forces impact it. For
example, soils at the bottom of a hill will be wetter than those near the top of the slopes.

Time: all the above soil-forming factors assert themselves over time, from hundreds to tens of
thousands of years
Mechanical Weathering (p. 125)
 Breaks rock into smaller fragments without altering
it’s chemical structure.
 Water percolates into cracks and crevices expanding
as it freezes it can split the rock apart.
Chemical Weathering (p. 126)
 Chemical Weathering: Alters the chemical structure
of rock by removing some constituents and leaving
others.
 Rain picks of CO2 from the sky creating carbonic acid
that will slowly break down rock.
Biological Weathering (p. 127)
 Microorganisms extruded chemicals that leached
rock for useful elements.
Nitrogen Cycle
Terminology

Animal waste and Plant matter exist on the surface of the soil.

Decomposers (Bacteria and Fungi) break down animal waste and plant matter and
convert it to Ammonia (NH3)

Nitrosimonas bacteria convert Ammonia to Nitrite (NO2)

Nitrobacter bacteria convert Nitrite (NO2) to Nitrate (NO3)

Nitrates can be taken up directly by plants and are essential for plant growth and
reproduction

Atmospheric Nitrogen(N2) fixing bacteria exist on legume (bean) root nodules and
convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to Ammonia (NH3)

Fertilizers contain nitrates to enhance plant growth and are added directly to the soil

Atmospheric Nitrogen (N2) can be converted to Nitrite (NO2) by the enormous energy
from lightening. The lightening breaks the nitrogen molecules and enables their
atoms to combine with oxygen in the air forming nitrogen oxide (NO). Nitrogen
oxide dissolves in rain and forms Nitrates (NO3)
How Do they Genetically
Modify Foods?
 Process
Composting
How to compost