Edaphology is a fairly young science whose primary focus is the study of soil. It emerged at the end of the last century and studies soil from all perspectives. It studies morphology, composition, properties, formation, distribution, taxonomy, usefulness, recovery, and conservation. It is a branch also studied in environmental sciences, as it has significant applications in the environment.
Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you all the characteristics, study area and concepts of edaphology.
Key features
In soil science, there are concepts of soil and earth that are often confusing. However, soil is considered the top layer of the planet's solid surface. This layer is formed by the weathering of rocks, in which plants are rooted, as it were. Soil is the specific ecological medium for certain types of living beings, and it is thanks to this that they can develop and reproduce. It can also be said that soil is a more or less loose mixture of small rock fragments and materials of organic origin that, together with liquids and gases in varying proportions, are present with a certain productive capacity.
It should be noted that soil science is important for numerous branches of science. For example, when studying the usefulness of a soil for agriculture, it is important to understand all its components and its productive capacity. When studying soil particles, several key aspects must be taken into account. First, the characteristics of the location and the specific characteristics of the soil. These characteristics include composition, morphology, and properties.
When we analyze the characteristics of the place to carry out a study in soil science, we must take into account the fundamental aspects. These are as follows:
- Terrain shape: corresponds to the factor of the relief in which the soil has been formed.
- Slope: Slope is the degree of inclination of the terrain. It is best to determine the slope as accurately as possible. It usually refers to the middle of the slope on which the land is located.
- Vegetation: This study examines the vegetation used on the land to identify the types of crops, both artificial and natural, that exist. When we refer to artificial plants, we refer to plants cultivated by humans, which are fundamental in the agricultural context.
- Climate: The climate is inferred from the data provided by meteorological stations. Depending on the climate of an area, the characteristics of its soils often vary, as in the case of forest floors.
Aspects of soil science
We are going to see what are the main aspects of edaphology that have to do with the characteristics of the soil. The first of all that is to study in a soil is its morphology. From morphology, horizons, color, texture, porosity, trait of biological origin, human activity and structure are studied. All these aspects are important to analyze a soil in its entirety. We are going to see what all these points are and what they are about.
edaphic horizons
Horizons refer to the morphological diversity of the soil to establish a strict naming system. They are designated with a capital letter indicating the genetic type. Some letters are used for organic horizons, others for mineral horizons, and others to identify the layers made up of the original material, more or less transformed. Some letters may be accompanied by others to describe an important characteristic not included in the definition of the corresponding capital letter. This is usually a number.
Transition horizons are those located between two of the written horizons. Thus, we see that these horizons have mixed properties, and it is difficult to incline toward one of them. Mixed horizons are those located between two main horizons that are interpenetrated in such a way that they constitute a complete mixture. They are distinguished from the transition horizon between both properties, which are completely mixed, which generates particular interest in studies of types of soils.
Color and texture in soil science
The color of a soil is highly variable but also very important. The matrix of the horizons and the presence of spots are differential when it comes to identifying the types of soils. All the essential minerals that make up the clayey fraction are whitish in color. However, it is not this usual color that the clays that are extracted from the ground have. The color is not in itself a frivolous property, but it offers us numerous characteristics about the formation of a soil and its behavior.
Texture refers to the distribution of soil particles by size. Its determination must be done through a corresponding analysis. However, in the field, small balls can be indirectly seen between the fingers to determine the type of association. With some experience, several textural types of soils can be distinguished, which is related to the study of Andosols.
Porosity, features and human activity
Porosity must be determined by indirect methods, as well as permeability. The relationship between these two forms helps determine the soil's density and water retention. Water retention capacity is important if the soil is to be used for gardening or agriculture, as mentioned in several soil studies. All of these methods can inform us about the total volume of pores in a soil. They do not provide information about the way the pores are distributed throughout the soil, nor their shape or orientation. However, they are crucial information for certain aspects of the soil.
Another notable aspect is the relative destruction between the various soil horizons. In many cases, this is usually sufficient to explain the soil's behavior. When we refer to traits of biological origin, we are describing the presence of an animal or evidence of it at some point. For example, there may be remains from metamorphosis, galleries, nests, etc. that are traits of the presence of an animal. Human activity is also important to analyze in a soil that is going to be designated for this purpose. The presence of Lozada fragments, debris, signs of garbage, or any material foreign to the soil and evidence of human intervention is important to analyze, as mentioned in the case of Soils as a tool against climate change.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about soil science and how it studies the soil.