The following Topics and Sub-Topics are covered in this chapter and are available on MSVgo:
The following Topics and Sub-Topics are covered in this chapter and are available on MSVgo:
Introduction
You must have heard that the earth’s surface is covered with water for 70% of the total area. But what is there in the remaining 30%? It is the landmasses that have soils at the surface. But is it true that the surface soil found in India and the surface soil found in the US both come under the soil? Yes, they both come under the soil as we check the soil definition in the following article section.
Soil is an unconsolidated mixture of minerals, organic and dead matters scattered on the earth’s surface. But in our general terms, soil can be any loose particles that we see around. The dust that we see on the furniture or the dirt that gets stuck to our clothes. Let’s check the classification of soils. If we look around, we can see soil teeming with life as it is home to millions of microbes and bacteria invisible to our naked eyes. Plants use the moisture in soil to get the required water content for them. The specialised xylem vessels are used for the absorption of water by soil.
There are different soil types around us. They are as follows.
Many people may think that soils are dirt, and their usage is simply confined to plants’ growth. Let’s check some of their uses.
Soils are formed from the rocks when they are weathered and dusted from the parent rock. There are three established and proven ways that help in the formation of the soil. Let’s check them one by one.
Mechanical weathering: This type of weathering happens due to nature’s physical forces and happens on the earth’s surface.
Chemical weathering: It happens due to the chemical reaction that involves the breaking of the rocks. It might be an internal chemical reaction that occurs inside the rock or any hills or mountains.
Biological weathering: It may not be a direct weathering process of soils, but they often prove to be a catalyst for climatic or mechanical weathering. For example, the trees’ roots can break through surrounding walls or rocks, leading to soil formation.
The soil that we see around is composed of different types of materials. Let’s check the soil profile.
Organic Matter: Organic matter includes the plants and animals that form the primary source of organic matter. They are usually dead cells of this organic matter that we will find in the soil. However, organic matter forms a very small composition of the soil.
Minerals: The abundant portion of soil is minerals in various types of weathered rock particles. Minerals have a fixed chemical composition. Minerals often form the properties of soil.
Gaseous Components: Soil has a majority portion of air-filled pores that are in between the adjacent particles.
Water: Soils also contain water, and that’s why the plants can suck water and nutrients from the soil. Plants have xylem vessels for the absorption of water from the soil. The soil moisture also proves to be a source for the microorganisms and small reptiles that live inside the soil.
Soils are a natural physical entity present on the landmasses on the earth. They are of different types and composition and help in the survival of humankind. Soils are used for crops growth along with sustaining the natural vegetation on the earth. We also get essential minerals like calcium, iron and others from the soil. There can be many dead matters, organic matters, minerals, holes as the soil composition. Soil is necessary on the landmass as it forms the platform to carry out our daily activities.
There are different materials in the soil, including minerals, water, organic matter and gases.
Soils are the unconsolidated materials and minerals on the earth’s surface, capable of providing the necessary water and nutrients for plant growth.
Soils are the unconsolidated materials and minerals on the earth’s surface that are capable of providing the necessary water and nutrients for plant growth. The different types of soils are sandy soil, clay soil, and loamy soil and silt soil.
The four types of spoils are sandy soil, clayey soil, silt soil and loamy soil. All these four types of soil have different soil properties.
There are three main layers of soils, namely the topsoil, subsoil and the parent rock. These layers can be composed of different kinds of materials.
On the MSVgo app, you can check videos about the different kinds of soil and their properties. Download the app now, and try it for yourself.
