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SOILS
ACIDITY AND TEMPERATURE OF SOIL
Nekelle De Coteau 6B
WHAT IS SOIL
Soil is the mixture of broken rocks, minerals and living organisms and decaying organic matter called humus
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers that are primarily composed of minerals which differ from their parent materials in their texture structure, and other characteristics.
IMAGES OF SOILS
SOIL PH
Soil Ph is the measure of acidity or alkalinity in soil
ACIDIC SOIL Soil is said to be acid when it is below 7 on the pH scale.
These soils can be very useful for cultivation as organic matter is broken down rapidly
Acidic soil is good for farming because it helps to release secondary minerals
WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO ACIDIC SOIL?
Rainfall
Fertilizer use
Plant root activity
Weathering of materials
Acid rain
ALKALINE SOIL These are when the soil is above 6 on the pH
scale
These soil have poor structure and low infiltration capacity
They have a hard calcareous layer
GLOBAL VARIATION IN SOIL PH
Red = acidic soil. Yellow = neutral soil. Blue = alkaline soil. Black = no data.
SOIL TEMPERATURES
Soil temperature is the temperature measured near the surface of the soil
Soil with little vegetation happens to heat up more rapidly
This contributes to a warm “moist” soil and will have greater biota activity
This is because it gives rapid breakdown to organic matter
IMAGES OF SOILS
Alkaline Acidic
REFERENCES
Geography an Integrated Approach
Wikipedia.com
organicgardening.about.com