Exercise 1

Origin of Soils

I. Introduction

Part 1. Factors of Soil Formation

Soil is defined as the unconsolidated material that formed on the Earth’s surface from
the weathering of rocks, and is made up of an integrated mixture of inorganic and organic
matter, water, and air (Weil & Brady, 2017). The physical, chemical and biological properties
of soil influence the growth of plants. Soil development or soil genesis includes reducing the
size of the parent material (rocks and minerals), particles (physical weathering), rearranging
the mineral particles, adding organic matter, changing the composition and structure of
minerals (including clay formation) through chemical weathering, and the formation of soil
horizons. Soil genesis is a continuous but slow process.

An individual soil is characterized by a unique soil profile, a vertical section (cross

section) of the soil exposing all of its horizons. A soil horizon is a layer of soil or soil material
approximately parallel to the land surface and differing from adjacent horizons in physical,
chemical, and biological properties. Soils differ from one location to another because of
where and how they formed.

Five major soil forming factors interact to create different types of soils: climate,
organisms, relief, parent material, and time (CLORPT) (Jenny, 1994). Climate is considered
as the main driver of soil development since temperature and precipitation directly affects
the rate of chemical reactions, which in turn determine the speed by which rocks weather
and organic litter decompose. Organisms inhabiting the soils such as earthworms speed up
the breakdown of soil particles, while soil-borne bacteria hastens the decay of organic litter.
Relief or topography, which refers to the shape of the land and the direction it faces, make
a difference in how much sunlight the soils gets, the degree of erosion, and how much water
is retained, thus affecting the depth and degree of development of the soil. Parent material
is the underlying geological material in which soil horizons form. Soils typically inherit a great
deal of structure and minerals from their parent material, which can either be residual or
transported (Barnes et al., 1980). Soil developed in residual parent material is that which
formed directly from the bedrock. Transported parent material is classified by its last means
of transport, usually water, wind, gravity, and ice. All of these factors work together over
time. Older soils differ from younger soils because they have had longer to develop. As soil
ages, it starts to look different from its parent material due to its dynamic nature. The soil
components—minerals, water, air, organic matter—constantly change as they are added
and lost, translocated within the soil, or transformed (Jenny, 1994).

Division of Soil Science – Agricultural Systems Institute

College of Agriculture and Food Science
UPLB, College, Laguna
 In recent studies, man's role in soil formation has become a matter of great concern
among soil scientists (Crutzen, 2002; Dudal, 2005; Yaalon & Yaron, 1966). Man is now
considered a soil-forming factor and anthrosolization is recognized as a soil-forming process
that results from human activities which include deep working, intensive fertilization, the
addition of extraneous materials, irrigation with sediment-rich waters and wet cultivation.
However, the characterization and classification “anthropogenic” soils are still a concern of
debate among soil scientists (Dazzi & Lo Papa, 2015).

Preparatory readings:

1) Agri 51 Soil Laboratory Manual, Appendix 1.1 “Factors of Soil Formation” and
Appendix 1.2 “Naming Soil Horizons”.
2) Agri 51 Exercise 1 Part 1 Handouts (uploaded in online classroom) 3) Useful
references for preparatory reading (optional):
⮚ Jenny, H. (1994). Factors of soil formation: A System of Quantitative
Pedology. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
⮚ Weil, R.R., & Brady, N.C. (2017). The Nature and Properties of Soils. 15th ed.
Columbus: Pearson.

Helpful link:

E-book copy of “The Nature and Properties of Soils” (Weil & Brady, 2017):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L6DIfiaJgY3zlm-H13Dtk30UvVuSiyAf/view

II. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the exercise, the students should be able to:

1. differentiate the soil forming factors that influence the type of soil formed;

2. identify the visible differences among representative soil profiles from different
locations in the Philippines and from other countries; and

3. define and characterize major soil horizons.

III. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Division of Soil Science – Agricultural Systems Institute

College of Agriculture and Food Science
UPLB, College, Laguna
 1) Pre-lab Discussion (30 minutes)

PowerPoint lecture covering the following topics:

⮚ Five factors of soil formation

⮚ Descriptive soil profile symbols

⮚ Recognized transitional horizons

⮚ Detailed info on the composition of a soil horizon.

2) Activity 1.1: ”Factors of Soil Formation” (1 hr, 30 min)

⮚ Download Activity 1.1 (pdf).

⮚ Download fillable pdf file of Worksheet 1.1.

⮚ Study each profile plate, take note of the major soil horizons, and determine

the influence of various soil forming factors.

⮚ All the required information should be provided in the Worksheet.

3) Post-lab Discussion

⮚ Discussion of answers to Activity 1.1 is scheduled on the subsequent

meeting.

⮚ Post-lab discussion will focus on answers of Worksheet 1.1.

IV. ASSESSMENT
Each student is tasked to complete Activity 1.1 (Factors of Soil Formation), and all
required information should be provided in Worksheet 1.1. In submitting the filled-in
worksheet, the student must use the following template for the file name:

Division of Soil Science – Agricultural Systems Institute

College of Agriculture and Food Science
UPLB, College, Laguna
AGRI51_Exer1.1_<StudentLastName_Firstname>.pdf and submit online on or
before the deadline set by the instructor.
REFERENCES

Agri 51 Laboratory Manual. 2019 edition. University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Barnes, B.V., Zak, D.R., Denton, S.R., Spurr, S.H. (1980). Forest Ecology. New York, NY:
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Crutzen, P. J. (2002). Geology of Mankind. Nature. 415, 23.

Dudal R. 2005. The Sixth Factor of Soil Formation. Eurasian soil science. Vol. 38, Suppl. 1,
2005, pp. S60-S65

Jenny, H. (1994). Factors of soil formation: A System of Quantitative Pedology . New

York: Dover Publications, Inc.

Weil, R.R., & Brady, N.C. (2017). The Nature and Properties of Soils. 15th ed. Columbus:
Pearson.

Yaalon D. H. and Yaron B. (1966). Framework for Man-Made Soil Changes: An Outline of
Metapedogenesis. Soil Sci., 102 (4), 272–277.

Guide Questions:

1.) What are the five factors of soil formation?

2.) How does the type of parent material influence the degree of development in soils?
3.) How does climate influence the degree of leaching in soils and its over-all
development?
4.) What is the role of vegetation in soil formation?
5.) How does topography affect drainage and development of soil horizons?
6.) What are soil mottles and how are these formed?
7.) What is the relationship between the age of soils and its properties?
8.) What are the major soil horizons and what are their general characteristics?

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

“Soil Formation: 5 Soil Factors” (Jerry Delsol):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US9rSig0LHE

Division of Soil Science – Agricultural Systems Institute

College of Agriculture and Food Science
UPLB, College, Laguna
Soil and Soil Dynamics (Paul Andersen, Bozeman Science):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg7XSjcnZQM&t=3s

How to Differentiate and Identify Soil Horizons in The Field (USDA NRCS):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlyDyQT6_WE

Division of Soil Science – Agricultural Systems Institute

College of Agriculture and Food Science
UPLB, College, Laguna