Factors affecting soil characteristics

Factors affecting soil characteristics

1. COLOUR

   • PARENT MATERIAL
     • SANSTONE PARENT ROCK
       • PALE BROWN SOILS
         • SANSTONE IS PALE THEREFORE SOIL MINERAL GRAINS PRODUCED FROM IT HAVE TO BE THAT COLOUR TOO
   • CLIMATE
     • CONTROLS WHICH SOIL-FORMING PROCESSES OCCUR
       • AND THEREFORE ALSO ITS CHARACTERISTIC COLOUR
     • COOL TEMPERATE OCEANIC CLIMATES
       • ENCOURAGES DECIDUOUS WOODLAND TO GROW
         • PROVIDE LEAF LITTER IN AUTUMN
           • HUMIFICATION OCCURS
             • DEAD ORGANIC MATTER IS CONVERTED INTO HUMUS
               • BACTERIA
               • FUNGI
               • BLACK GEL LIKE SUBSTANCE
                 • WASHED INTO SOIL BY RAINFALL
                   • MAKING SOIL DARK BROWN IN COLOUR
               • LEADS TO FORMATION OF BROWN EARTH SOILS
       • PODZOL SOILS
         • PALE GREY COLOUR IN A HORIZON
         • DARKER B HORIZON DUE TO BUILD UP OF MINERALS
       • LATOSOLS
         • ORANGE
           • DUE TO EXTREME LEACHING (LATERISATION)
             • WET TROPICAL CLIMATE
             • ALL NUTRIENTS LEACHED EXCEPT IRON AND ALUMINIUM OXIDES
     • CONTORLS AMOUNT OF LEACHING WHICH OCCURS
       • AFFECTS SOIL COLOUR
       • LIGHTENS COLOURS OF SOIL
         • PALE ASH COLOURED
       • WHEN RAIN WATER WASHES NUTRIENTS DOWN INTO LOWER B HRIZON OF SOIL
   • VARIETY FROM BLACK TO ORANGE

2. SOIL TEXTURE

   • THE WAY A SOIL FEELS WHEN ITS RUBBED IN OUR HANDS
   • 4 TYPES OF TEXTURE
     • SANDY TEXTURE
     • SILTY TEXTURE
     • CLAY TEXTURE
     • LOAM TEXTURE
     • AFFECTED BY FACTORS SUCH AS:
       • CLIMATE
         • COLD CLIMATES
           • TUNDRA
             • BELOW FREEZING
               • MECHANICAL WEATHERING
                 • FREEZE THAW ACTION
                   • PRODUCE SANDY SOILS
                   • CREE PARTICLES
                     • SIZE OF SAND GRAINS
         • WETTER AND WARMER CLIMATES
           • COOL TEMPERATE OCEANIC
             • GRANITE ROCKS CHEMICALLY WEATHERED BY HYDROLYSIS
               • FELDSPAR MINERALS IN GRANITE ROCK CONVERTED TO CLAY PARTICLES
                 • CLAY GRAINS NOT VISIBLE TO NAKED EYE
                   • SMOOTH TO TOUCH
                   • FERTILE
                   • NOT WELL DRAINED
                     • CLAY GRAINS ARE SO SMALL AND HOLD WATER EASILY
   • PARENT MATERIAL
     • SIZE OF GRAINS IN PARENT MATERIAL
       • SANDSTONE
         • SANDY SOILS
       • SHALE
         • SILTY TEXTURED SOILS
       • GRANITE ROCK
         • CONTAINS FELDSPAR
           • CLAY SOILS

3. HUMUS CONTENT

   • ORGANISMS
   • CLIMATE
     • VEGETATION GROWS EASILY IN TEMPERATE CLIMATES
       • IRELAND
       • HIGH HUMUS CONTENT
         • BROWN EARTH SOILS
   • CLIMATE ORGANISMS + RELIEF CONTROL:
     • DRAINAGE + DEPTH
     • PRESENCE/ABSENCE OF LIVING ORGANISMS
     • VEGETATION GROWING ON IT
   • HUMUS
     • BLACK GEL LIKE SUBSTANCE
     • ANYTHING THAT REDUCES ORGANIC MATTER WILL REDUCE HUMUS CONTENT
       • COLD CLIMATES
         • TUNDRA
           • PREVENTS HUMUS PRODUCTION
       • HIGH ALTITUDES
       • STEEP SLOPES
   • RELIEF
     • LOWLAND SOILS
       • HIGH HUMUS CONTENT
       • DEAD ORGANIC MATTER BUILDS UP
       • WARMER AND SHELTERED
     • UPLANDS
       • COLDER
         • PREVENTING DECOMPOSITION/CONVERSION OF ORGANIC MATTER INTO HUMUS
       • PEAT SOILS ARE COMMON

4. IN THIS ANSWER THE FACTORS AFFECTING SOIL CHARACTERISTICS OF COLOUR, SOIL AND TEXTURE WILL BE DISCUSSED.

   • CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL: COLOUR, TEXTURE, STRUCTURE, PH, HUMUS AND WATER CONTENT.
     • FACTORS AFFECTING SOILS ARE: CLIMATE, RELIEF, PARENT MATERIAL, ORGANISMS AND TIME.