|
|
Soil
Classification
2.Soil
Formation Processes
Soil
formation (genesis) is brought about by a series of specific
changes that can be grouped into four broad processes as noted
below.
|
Four Soil Formation
Processes
Click
on the text in the image below to obtain
details of each of the four process
|
|
|
Source:
Lesley Dampier |
|
These
processes of soil genesis, operating under the influence of
environmental factors, give us a logical framework for
understanding the relationships between particular soils and the
landscapes and ecosystems in which they function.
This approach is known as internal process modeling. In
analyzing these relationships for a given site, ask yourself:
-
What
are the materials being added to this soil?
-
What
transformations and translocations are taking place in this
profile?
-
What
materials are being removed?
-
How
have climate, organisms, topography, and parent material at this
site affected these processes over time?
RELATED
LINKS:
 The
Virtual Soil Processes Project
Provides students with video, interactive, and text
web-based information to assist them in understanding
soil formation concepts. It looks at some examples of
soil processes, from each of the four groups, that occur
in some soil types in British Columbia. In addition, the
project also allows students to relate soil formation to
various management issues as presented in introductory
soil science courses.
|
