Soils

Process

weathering

weathering is the process of breaking rocks into smaller ones either by a physical or chemical process.

Erosion

It is when the smaller rocks move away from the larger parent rocks usually by wind and water.

Depending on the size of the eroded rock can be considered clay. silt or sand and the three together form the soil and depending on the proportion of each one, the soil will have different properties.

Clay

It the samallest <0.0002 mm

Silt

Is in the middle <0.05 mm

Sand

It the biggest <2.0 mm

Soil horizons

O

It is the highest and is where dead plant matter called detritus.

A

It is sometimes called the biological mantle because it is where most of the soil organisms reside.

B

It is the subsoil and is generally where the roots of the plants are.

C

It is where the bedrock is slowly degrading into the ground so it is usually large rocks or gravels with little soil in between.

R

it's just rock.

How is form?

Soil is formed by the discomposting of the rocks by the sun the wind and the rain by animals and plants

Soil Orders

Entisol

It has no development of soil horizons, it is very young and it is the most common on earth.

Inceptisol

Are more developed than entisols.

Gelisol

It has permafrost near the surface and have a little horizon development.

Spodosol

Since it is found in coniferous and boreal forest and as there are pine trees and they release they acid needles and for that there is low fertility.

Alfisol

They are rich in iron and aluminum and are found in broadleaf and deciduous forest also mediterranean.

Ultisol

Iron makes them red and occurs in subtropical and humid areas.

Aridisol

Are desert soils with extremely low amounts of water.

Mollisol

It is the best for agriculture and occurs in grassy soil.

Oxisol

It has very low soil fertility but have very developed horizon, but it hard to see and they occur on forest soils linked to the Amazon and the Congo.

Andisol

It is volcanic soil, it is rich in nutrients and it occurs where it occurs.

Histosol

It is wetland soil, usually contains peat and other organic matter and occurs where it occurs.

Vertisol

Tiene un alto contenido de arcilla, y se seca con regularidad.