Aggregation Status on Soil Potassium in Illitic Loess Slowly Swelling Soils Possessing High Specific Surface Area

In agriculture, soil can cause limitations to plant growth through (a) depth, stoniness, texture and structure which together can influence the amount of water which can be held in the profile and the ease with which roots can penetrate and (b) the availability of nutrients (Rowell, 1994). There are four main constituents of soil: mineral matter, organic matter, air and water (Fig. 1.1).

Holmes, Garnett, Bureau of Plant Industry United States, and Bureau of Chemistry and Soils United States. Soil Survey of The Yuma Area, Arizona-California. N.p.: Govt. print. off., 1905

Extracted soil samples indicate simultaneous reduction of rainfall and occasional erosion. Both soil and sediment features show establishment of marked

The town of Putney is situated in the south eastern corner of Vermont, in the Connecticut River Valley. Although the town occupies just 26.8 square miles, the diversity of its soils is remarkable. The variation of Putney’s soils has led to a wide range of land uses depending on the soil type, and its position on the landscape. By exploring the factors that contributed to the formation of Putney’s soils, and by discussing the characteristics of those soils, this paper will explain the significance of the town’s land use.

The types of soils found in the state of Texas vary over a wide range. Research done by the Natural Resources Conservation service indicated that there are approximately over 1300 different types of soils that can be located in the State of Texas. All of these soil types each play a different role in how it affects the foundation of structures. However, this wide range of soil types, has been shrunk down to fit into nine groups of Taxonomy to help make it easier for identification and research (Vepraskas et al., 26). In this essay, I shall discuss the different types of soils that can be located in Texas according to their respective taxonomic group.

The soil has a thick litter layer, but thin humus layers due to fast decomposition. There is also a rapid leaking, which is the downward movement of the nutrients in solution in the soil. Soil is determined by the climate, vegetation, topographic position and soil age.

Hydrosol is a very wet kind of soil and is saturated for the majority of the year, often located where former lake beds occur. Sudosol is more sodic than acidic, it is a Texture Contrast Soil and therefore there is a strong contrast between the surface and the subsoil. This is the most common type of soil in the Mallee region. Vertosols are soils which grow and shrink, causing cracking when the soil dries out. They occur along the creek and river beds as well as the broad plains of the Mallee. Along the coastlines of the Mallee are Calcarosol soils, they, unlike Sudosols and Vertosols, do not have a strong texture contrast throughout its layers. Lastly, two sandy soils have been identified in the Mallee region: Rudosol and Tenosol. Rudosols are very young and undeveloped soils and are widespread in the Big Desert and Sunset Country. Tenosols are also rather undeveloped and occur in the same areas as Rudosols. Tenosols generally have a ‘low water holding capacity and fertility’. Having a vast selection of soils can only mean that a vast selection of produce comes from the area.

Expectedly, the soil and a variety of dense particles settled to the bottom of the test tube. Using a pipette we drew water from the center of the sample, but making sure not to draw up any soil. Three separate slides were prepared, each

Dallas, located in the northeastern part of the state, has a variety of different types of soil. The Gulf Coastal Plain is composed of red and yellow soils, which can be beneficial for the vegetation if proper fertilizer is used (Escape to Texas). Moving more towards central Texas, it has “soils based on weathered decayed limestone” (Escape to Texas). Much of the Dallas area has grassland vegetation, which comes from Mollisol soils, which are rich in calcium and other nutrients (Ritter). The intensely hot summers cause the soil to possess high moisture retention so as not to dry up easily, but when they do become dry, they have a “granular structure and soft consistency” (Ritter). A typical soil profile of this soil type would include “dark brown to black organic rich surface layers” (Ritter). The soil in this area has been used to alter the landscapes, and recently have been used for “cropland and pasture to

A. There a many different test that are chemical and physical that we could use for our soil sample. One physical test that can be performed is a particle size distribution of a soil sample. For this test, you get your sample of soil and place it in a jar. You then add water, a drop of soap, and shake the jar. After a length of time the contents of soil will develop into layers. You would then see the makeup of your soil with sand being at the bottom, silt in the middle, and clay at the top. You can then find the distribution of the soil and determine the soil texture. This soil test could help a cooperative extension service to determine if they need to add more contents like sand, silt, or clay so it will increase the growth of plants on that particular area where the soil is growing. A chemical test that can be preformed is a PH test to get the acidity of the soil. You test this by placing PH paper in soil concentration and the color change will indicate the PH of the soil. The a high PH shows the level of the base while the low PH will show how acidic the soil is. This is important to a recommendation because the PH can affect nutrients, minerals and growth.

Throughout central and southern Mexico, there are high rates of precipitation. Therefore with all the precipitation and solar energy, some of the richest soils are produced in the heart of Mexico. With these accommodations, mostly infertile yellowish soils are produced that are high in iron oxides and also aluminum hydroxide (“Mexico Geography and Climate”). These rich-in base soils are easily crumbled and are continuously farmed annually. But with the continuous farming with these soils, sheet erosion is starting to effect the soil and cause problems within the environment (“Encyclopedia of the Nations”).

Hypothesis The more silt soil contains gives a longer water holding capacity for the soil and the more clay it contains gives a shorter water holding capacity. Procedure I Take separate samples of humus and forest ground soil and place into cups. Using spray bottle filled with water, take a handful of soil into your hand and mist it with water. Squeeze the samples and try to form it into a ball or a ribbon and determine its texture.

People live in different areas of the country. These areas may have different types of soil. The types of soil may be rich top soil, sandy soil, and rocky soil. Many people want to grow their own vegetables and the type of soil could affect the way vegetables will grow. This research is scientifically important because it will show how vegetables grow in different types of soil. This would have an impact on society because it would help those who wanted to grow a vegetable garden on how to best prepare the garden soil for radishes.

Erosion removes the surface soils, containing most of the organic matter, plant nutrients, and fine soil particles, which help to retain water and nutrients in the root zone where they are available to plants. Thus it affects the productivity of plants. The remaining, the subsoil, tends to be less fertile, less absorbent and less able to retain pesticides, fertilizers, and other plant nutrients. There are over 17,000 soil types recognized worldwide. They vary widely in structure, erodibility, fertility, and ability to produce crops. A generalized soil profile for a humid, temperate climate is showed. When the natural vegetation is cleared for agriculture, soils become exposed to erosion and loss of soil fertility. The removal of the above-ground natural

The diversity, high total acreage and crop yield are the result of favorable factors; the Mediterranean climate, long growing seasons, productive soils, and readily available and plentiful irrigation. Agricultural operations in the area have significant and permanent impact on the properties and management of the soils in the study area. Farming practices such as land leveling and irrigation impacts surface soils and deeper soil profiles due to the percolation of irrigation water. The current drought afflicting the region has increased the number of fallow acres steadily because of the relative unreliability of the water supply. The lack of surface water availability has forced farmers to turn more to groundwater to irrigate their crops. The pumping of water from deep wells and increased consumption of ground water contributes to ground subsidence which in turn, affects the geomorphology of the