Soil Formation Process Assignment 2022

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Soil Formation Process
Named of Student
Institution Affiliation

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Introductions
Earth crust is made of rocks, due to tectonic forces acting on this underground rock. Soil and its
formation are often considered from different points of view, ranging from study of soil science.
Soil has its own importance in ecological system as it provides basis for plants nourishment from
supplying water, temperature modulation, anchoring support and supply of nutrients. Through
natural processes such as weathering of these rocks results to formation of thin layer on the upper
most part of the earth crust, this thin layer is referred as soil. Soil defined by the horticulturists as
the medium in which plant roots grow or can grow while engineer define it as the unconsolidated
mineral and organic material on the earth’s surface, down to bedrock. Soil scientists define it as a
dynamic natural body, composed of mineral and organic solids, gases, liquids and living
organisms, which can serve as a medium for plant growth (Wiki. UBC, 2011).
Top soil comprises air, water, mineral particles living organisms and organic materials. (Veldhuis
et al., 2014)

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Figure 1.1 soil profile arrangement.( Holliday, 2016)
These features varies in proportion for different regions and area thus giving enabling
classification of soil into different categories depending on concentration variation in these basic
components present in soil (Schaetzl, & Thompson, 2015). In a number s of ways human beings
depend on soil either directly or indirectly i.e. plants obtain their nutrients from soil for their
growth and development and then human feed on these plants as food thus the transfer of
Nutrient from soil to plant then to human, animals and even birds ( Holliday, 2016)
As illustrated in this scenario soil proves to one of the most important pillar on which life stands
on proving it most valuable commodity in the sphere of survival and needs a lot of care while
handling. As time goes by soil develop forming layers that forms a simple structure referred as
soil profile. Within soil profile exist soil horizon of which at times becomes quite challenging to
differentiate types of soil based on horizon (Kaestner et al., 2014). Soil provides pool of carbon

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that act as sink for atmospheric carbon (IV) oxide, home for micro-organism and filtration of
system for surface and ground water.
Soil formation processes.
There are four are four soil formation process. These processes are;
1. Addition; as name suggests. In this process additional materials are added to the soil
through processes such as decomposition of vegetation and organism or new mineral
materials deposited by wind or water
2. Transformation; occurs when formation of clay minerals and chemical weathering of
sand transform course to organic matter
3. Translocation the process where movement of soil constituents with the profile and
between horizons of soil structure. It is easily notable since it involve change in texture
and color
4. Losses this process is caused by movement of wind, water or uptake by plants soil
particles or chemical components can be easily eroded leached
Factors affecting soil formation
The process of soil formation is slowly but continuous steady process that involve systematic and
gradual break down of rocks into tiny particles that eventually forms soil through weathering
(Gerrard, 2014). This process of soil formation can either be through biological processes,
physical activities or even through chemical processes. Thus, the process of soil formation is
categorized into three types as: Chemical weathering where these rocks in the earth crust
undergoes through series of changes in their chemical compositions resulting to their
fragmentation. This is mostly facilitated by the reaction between water, air and any other
chemicals found in the soil and mineral compositions of these rocks. (Brinkman, 2015). Second is