Geography
Soil Analysis
Soil analysis involves the scientific assessment of soil properties, composition, and quality. It typically includes testing for pH levels, nutrient content, texture, and organic matter. This process is essential for understanding the suitability of soil for agriculture, construction, and environmental conservation.
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8 Key excerpts on "Soil Analysis"
eBook - PDF- Alan F. Arbogast(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
Soil science The study of soil as a natural resource through under- standing of its physical, chemical, and biological properties. Geo Media Soil Horizon Development The formation of soil horizons is complex because it involves the internal organization of sediment through a combination of addi- tions, depletions, transformations, and translocations over a period of time. This organization is best understood when it is viewed in an animated way that demonstrates the progressive development of soil. To do so, go to the Geo Media Library and select Soil Horizon Development. Once you complete the animation, be sure to answer the questions at the end to test your understanding of this concept. 246 CHAPTER 11 The Global Distribution and Character of Soils about the phenomena under study. Classification also provides a basis from which one category can be compared with another. Given the predictable pedogenic processes and factors that operate on Earth, soils are particularly well suited for classification. Although many different classification systems are used around the world, the one used in the United States is called soil taxonomy. This system is based on the existing properties of a soil, such as color, texture, structure, and mineral content, which can be measured. Many other soil classification systems are genetic; that is, the soil scientist attempts to reconstruct how the soil evolved, even though the initial environmental conditions may not be known. Because soil taxonomy is a generic, logically based system, the classification scheme is hierarchical with several levels of general classifications, each with sublevels below it. With each successively lower level, fewer and fewer similarities appear between soil types. The highest level within soil taxonomy is the soil order. Twelve soil orders occur around the world, each one dis- tinguished on the basis of diagnostic horizons (Table 11.1) that meet certain criteria.
eBook - PDFAgronomic Handbook
Management of Crops, Soils and Their Fertility
- J. Benton Jones, Jr., Jr., J. Benton Jones(Authors)
- 2002(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
Soil Analysis follows a series of steps with field sampling, progressing to laboratory analysis, and eventually to interpretation as shown in Figure 11.1. 11.3 SAMPLING Soils vary horizontally and vertically and the variation requires careful sampling technique. Topog-raphy and soil type are common factors for determining where, within sampling boundaries, to collect a single soil composite. The three most common sampling strategies are: TABLE 11.1 Soil Tests Based on Objectives Test Objective Water, salt, and buffer pH levels Soil reaction and lime requirement Extractable elements: Major elements (P, K, Ca, Mg, NO 3 , SO 4 ) Nutrient element status Micronutrients (B, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mo, Mn, Zn) Nutrient element status Other elements (Al, Na) Toxicity Trace elements and heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Ni) Toxicity Organic matter content Physical and chemical characteristics Mechanical analysis Soil texture classification Soluble salts Total salts in soil solution FIGURE 11.1 Sequence of Soil Analysis test procedure. Soil Analysis 339 1. Simple random sampling 2. Stratified random sampling — selecting individual soil cores in a random pattern within a designated area 3. Systematic or grid sampling Statistical considerations determine which method of sampling best defines the area under test evaluation. The depth of sampling is determined by any of several factors: horizonal characteristics (limiting depth to one soil horizon), depth of soil mixing for land preparation, and rooting depth of the growing or to-be-grown crop. Because most field soils are not homogeneous naturally or because of past and/or current cultural practices, the challenge is to obtain a sample that is representative of the field under test. The common procedure is to take a number of individual cores to form a composite; the number of cores required to comprise a single composite sample ranges from as few as 4 to as many as 16.
- Durai, M.V.(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- NEW INDIA PUBLISHING AGENCY (NIPA)(Publisher)
18 A Handbook of Soil-Plant-Water-Fertilizer and Manure Analysis that are close to either side of neutrality. However, there are acid-loving plants and also plants that can withstand high soil alkalinity. Hence, good yields and economic returns from farming are possible in acid and alkali soils. With proper amendments, still higher yields can be obtained in acid and alkali soils. Soil pH also has a considerable influence on the activity of soil micro-flora and on the availability of soil nutrients to crops. It is also important to estimate physical properties such as soil texture, structure, bulk density, soil colour, water content and soil temperature. Soil Sampling “The analysis can be no better than the sample” (Jackson, 1962) The sampling of soils is a challenging problem, worthy of detailed consideration. Sampling includes taking the soil material so as to take in to account the variability of soils, handling and processing the sample and final sub-sampling for the actual determination. Soil sampling must take into account variations of soil according to profile depth and landscape area. The methods and procedures for obtaining soil samples vary according to the purpose of the sampling. Analysis of soil samples may be needed for engineering and agricultural purposes. This guide describes soil sampling for agricultural and plantation forestry purposes, i.e. for soil fertility evaluation and fertilizer recommendations for both food crops and forest trees. The results of even very carefully conducted soil analyses can only be as good as the soil samples themselves. Thus, the efficiency of a soil testing service depends on the care and skill with which soil samples are collected. Non-representative samples constitute the largest single source of error in a soil fertility programme. The most important phase of Soil Analysis takes place not in the laboratory but in the field where the soil is sampled.
eBook - PDF- Alina Kabata-Pendias(Author)
- 2010(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
37 3 Soils and Soil Processes INTRODUCTION I A valid concept of the nature of soil must avoid the common error that soil is simply a mixture of unconsolidated material, resulting from the weathering processes of underlying rocks. Soil is a natural body, having both mineral and organic components in addition to physical, chemical, and biological properties. Soil properties, therefore, cannot be a simple reflection of the combined properties of all soil components. Any classification of soils suffers from the disadvantage that it is impossible to relate it to the great complexities of soil genesis and properties. The terms used in defining the soils in different systems are seldom exactly equivalent. The definitions of soil units used in this book are adopted from the FAO/UN (2006). Short descriptions of the soil units are presented in Table 3.1. The names of soils described in this book were taken from the original publications, translated, and the associated soil characteristics were fitted, insofar as possible, into the soil units of the FAO/UN. The composition of soils is extremely diverse and although governed by many different factors, climatic conditions and parent material predominate most commonly. An approximation of soil composition is shown in Figures 3.1 and 3.2. Soil is composed of three phases: (1) solid (mineral and organic), (2) liquid, and (3) gaseous, and it exhibits properties resulting from the physical and chemical equilibriums of these phases. Moreover, not only the chemical composition of the solid components of soil but also its mineral structure and the state of dispersion are important factors influencing soil properties. Although trace elements are minor components of the solid soil phase, they play an important role in soil fertility. Knowledge of the association of trace elements with particular soil phases and their affinity to each soil constituent is the key to a better understanding of the principles governing their behavior in soils.
eBook - PDFHandbook of Soil Sciences
Resource Management and Environmental Impacts, Second Edition
- Pan Ming Huang, Yuncong Li, Malcolm E. Sumner, Pan Ming Huang, Yuncong Li, Malcolm E. Sumner(Authors)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
Our ability to integrate information such as this into management recommendations has markedly improved due to the now wide-spread use of computers in soil testing and with the increased ease of using GIS that are capable of “layering” different data bases to provide a more holistic view of the relationship between soil fertility and land use. 13.2.3 Soil Testing: Overview of the Major Components All modern soil testing programs have four basic components: (1) soil sample collection, handling, and preparation; (2) Soil Analysis; (3) interpretation of analytical results; and (4) recom-mendations for action. For soil testing to be successful, each component must be conducted properly, keeping the overall objective (e.g., plant production or environmental protection) firmly in mind, and with an awareness of the potential sources of error that can occur at each step. 13.2.3.1 Soil Sample Collection and Handling Collection of a sample that is representative of the entire area of interest, whether it is a farm field, a lawn or garden, or a severely disturbed soil at a construction or mining site, is the most impor-tant step in any soil testing program. Proper handling of the sample, once collected, is also important to avoid contamination or changes in elemental concentrations due to improper storage and/or the use of incorrect techniques to prepare the soil sample for analysis (drying, grinding, sieving). An effective soil sampling and handling program must be based on an understanding of the natural and anthropogenic sources of soil variation, the proper method of sample collection (depth, time of year, sampling tools), and the sources of error in sample handling and preparation. 13.2.3.1.1 Understanding and Compensating for Variability A high degree of natural variability in soil chemical and physical properties can exist even within a very small area.
eBook - PDFSoil and Environmental Analysis
Physical Methods, Revised, and Expanded
- Keith A. Smith(Author)
- 2000(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
Unless the soil is examined first, samples taken for 595 596 Batey subsequent analysis may be taken from material that crosses physical boundaries and includes layers with dissimilar properties. There are also situations where the lateral distribution of a particular physical condition must be determined. Where any test is time-consuming or costly it may be possible to undertake it at only a few spots; examination of the soil is required to select a representative area. Field techniques have been widely used in pedology and soil surveys, in land evaluation for crop growth, and in the use and management of soils. For these purposes, techniques have been developed with specific emphasis on particular properties. 1. Pedology and Soil Surveys The identification of soil horizons and their sequence feature prominently in stud-ies of soil genesis, soil distribution, and soil classification. For these purposes, there is an emphasis on criteria such as soil color and texture, which are relatively permanent, and on the examination of soils under “natural” conditions. A soil classification name may be given to the profile as a whole, based on the sequence of horizons that are identified. Although the names and nomenclature may differ between classification systems, they share a common core of diagnostic criteria to identify a particular horizon. The methods used for describing soils in the field, including any for diagnostic horizons, are described in detail in soil survey manu-als or reports accompanying soil surveys. Although local or national systems of classification may reflect more accurately the circumstance of a particular territory (e.g., Glentworth and Muir, 1963; Taylor and Pohlen, 1976; Avery, 1990; Soil Survey Staff, 1993), there are two major soil classification systems that are used worldwide, U.S. Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 1975,1998) and FAO (1998).
eBook - PDF- Eric C. Brevik, Lynn C. Burgess, Eric C. Brevik, Lynn C. Burgess(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
23 1.9 Soil Classification ................................................................................................................... 24 1.10 Soil Health/Quality ................................................................................................................. 27 1.11 Additional Readings ............................................................................................................... 27 References ........................................................................................................................................ 28 4 Soils and Human Health include calcium in their chemical composition. Likewise, the proportions of sand, silt, and clay in a soil are determined largely by the sand, silt, and clay contents of the parent materials. Topography refers to the slope, aspect, and landscape position of a given soil. The steeper a slope is, the greater erosion tends to be, which limits the depth of the soils on those steep slopes (Figure 1.1). Gentler slopes allow more water infiltration and less runoff, leading to more developed soils. Aspect refers to the direction the slope faces, which influences the amount of solar energy that hits the slope. South-facing slopes in the northern hemisphere get more incoming solar energy than north-facing slopes, thus warming and drying soils on the southern slopes relative to the north-ern slopes (Figure 1.2). The same relationship holds in the southern hemisphere, with north-facing slopes getting more solar energy than south-facing slopes. Landscape position refers to where, on a slope, a soil is formed: at the top, along the side, or at the bottom. Landscape position is important in determining whether a soil will be subjected to slight erosion, intense erosion, slight deposition, or intense deposition. The processes influenced by slope, aspect, and landscape position influence the final soil formed at any given location. Climate primarily refers to precipitation and temperature.
eBook - PDFGeological and Soil Evidence
Forensic Applications
- Kenneth Pye(Author)
- 2007(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
Most include information about location (the place where the sample was taken and/or soil profile described), environmental setting (terrain type, soil parent material, local climatic, and hydrological regime), soil properties (physical and chemical), vegetation type, land-use, and possibly soil man-agement regime. The information derived from systematic soil surveys is often displayed in thematic map form. Physical and chemical properties that are included often include soil texture, particle size distribution, soil mois-ture, color, pH, electrical conductivity, and cation exchange capacity. Two relatively large-scale soil maps of the world have been produced, a 1:10 million scale map prepared by Kovda (1977) and a 1:5 million scale map pro-duced in nine volumes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations Environment and Scientific Cooperation Organization (UNESCO) (FAO 1971–1981). There are also a number of simplified and mod-ified versions of the latter map such as those produced by the US Department of Agriculture using the USDA Soil Taxonomy system of soil classification (Soil Survey Staff, 1990). The FAO–UNESCO 1:5 million map is widely regarded as the most authoritative at continental and global scales, and a digitized version in Arc-Info format has been available for some years (FAO, 1996; Nachtergaele, 2000). Another useful source of information at the global scale, although not yet providing complete global coverage, is the SOTER Soil–Terrain Database. This initiative, sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme, aimed to map areas having a distinctive, and often repetitive, pattern of landforms, parent materials and soils at a scale of 1:1 million (van Engelen, 2000). Another source of global information is the WISE (World Inventory of Soil Emission Potentials) database developed by the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC).
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