Contents
What is soil?
Soil is a very thin layer of the lithosphere or part of the Earth formed by rocky material and, therefore, solid and rigid.
A soil profile is the set of horizons or strata that form the soil.
How is soil formed?
Soil formation processes, such as the weathering of parent rock by physical and biological phenomena, such as the action of plant roots on it, as well as biochemical processes of organic matter degradation, leading to its mineralization, as well as the biological activity of soil animals and microorganisms, contribute to forming soil horizons.
What is the study of the soil called?
The sciences that study soil are called pedology and edaphology. Pedology focuses on studying soils in their natural environment, while edaphology is more more concerned with investigating the influence of soil on organisms, especially plants.
If the soil is not balanced and has a poor particle size composition, people can correct it by adding the components that the soil is lacking.
Why is it important for a soil to be balanced?
Balanced soils are those with the most suitable granulometric composition for plant growth and development because they are those with the combination of clay, silt, sand, gravel and stones that is best for plants, in which none of the above-mentioned components predominate.
Function of humus in soil
Humus serves to form the clay-humic complex, which is very important for giving structure to the soil, which is essential for the soil to be in balance, without which there can be no life.
The clay-humic complex formed with humus retains mainly cations, which are good for plants, as it gives fertility to the soil.
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