Download Components and Properties of Soil

Components and
Properties of Soil
What is soil?
Material which nourishes and supports
growing plants includes rocks, water,
organic material and air.
How is soil formed?
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Rocks rubbing together for many, many years
Organic matter
What is our State……
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Soil…..
Jory
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Rock…..
Thunder
Egg
What is a Thunder Egg
According to ancient Native American legend, when the
Thunder Spirits living in the highest recesses of
snowcapped Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson became
angry with one another, amid violent thunder and
lightning storms they would hurl masses of these
spherical rocks at each other. The hostile gods obtained
these weapons by stealing eggs from the Thunderbirds'
nests, thus the source of the name "Thundereggs."
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A Thunder egg is not actually a rock. It is a
structure, sometimes a nodule, sometimes a
geode,
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What are the functions of soil?
Plant medium
Recycling system for nutrients
Habitat for organisms
System for water supply
Water purification
Support foundation
Heat storage
Decomposes organic material
Buffer of toxic compounds to
the environment
Source of raw materials
Gene pool
Source of history
What are Soil Horizons?
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As soils develop they form layers called
Horizons.
O Horizon
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Layer of accumulated organic
matter such as leaves, grass,
twigs
Material can be in various
states of decomposition
Generally dark in color
O
A
E
B
C
R
A Horizon
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Topsoil
Generally it is the most
productive horizon
High biological activity
Generally dark in color
O
A
E
B
C
R
E Horizon
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Leached soils
Soluble minerals and
organic material move out
of this horizon
Generally a lighter
“washed” appearance in
color
O
A
E
B
C
R
B Horizon
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Less amount of parent
material break down and
organic matter.
Often more course
fragments (rock visible)
Varies in color from reds
and yellows to browns and
grays
O
A
E
B
C
R
C Horizon
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The unconsolidated
material that has been
affected little by the soil
forming processes
Course fragments present
O
A
E
B
C
R
R Horizon
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Hard bedrock
100% course fragments,
also known as rock
O
A
E
B
C
R
Assignment
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See worksheet