Soil Study

Climate It is the average weather conditions at a particular place over period of time as determined by temperature, precipitation, wind velocity and other morphological factors. Climate is the dominant factor of soil formation because of the effects of temperature, rainfall and wind. These sub factors affects the rate of chemical, physical and biological processes that are responsible of soil development. The biochemical changes are sensitive to temperature. These changes are favoured by temperature range of 20-30 o C. Temperature also influences the organic matter content of the soil. Decomposition of organic matter is more at higher temperature. Moisture is another important actor in soil formation. Rainfall is the major source of moisture. In areas receiving low rainfall, there is shallow accumulation of carbonates in the soil, in humid areas, acid soils are developed under conditions of intense weathering and leaching. Erosion caused by water may remove upper fertile port

Topography It is the difference in elevation or slope between the uplands and lowlands of a valley or it is the earth’s surface contour. Topography of a land can hasten or delay the work of climatic forces. In smooth and flat surface excess water is moved less rapidly than in areas of steep slopes. Soils having steep slopes encourage natural erosion of the soil surface which reduces the possibilities of the development of a deep soil. On the other hand, if water remains available for part or all of the year on gentle slopes there will be more vegetation and organic matter accumulation resulting in the development of a deep soil profile. Topography also determines the type and amount of vegetation. Higher plants and more vegetation are present on north facing slopes but scarce and small shrubs are present on the south facing slopes.

Bioremediation It is a process that uses microorganism, plants or microbial or plant enzymes to detoxify contaminates in the soil and other environment. A number of bioremediation strategies can restore soil environment quality. For a given contaminant, one or more of the following strategies may be needed to ensure successful bioremediation. Passive bioremediation is a natural bioremediation of contaminated sites by indigenous microorganism. In this kind of bioremediation rate of degradation may be too slow for some situation. Bio stimulation is the addition of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to stimulate indigenous microorganisms in soil. Bioventing is a process in which gaseous stimulants such as oxygen and methane are added in the soil to stimulate microbial activity. Bioaugmentation  is a process in which inoculation of a contaminated site with microorganism to facilitate biodegradation. Composting is the use of microorganism in constructed piles of soil windrows

Composting It is controlled biological process which converts organic constituents usually wastes into humus like material suitable for use as a soil amendment or organic fertilizer Composting Process It consists of a period of rapid decomposition and self-heating followed by a cooler, slower decay of remaining organic substrates. All the three major groups of soil microorganisms, bacteria actinomycetes and fungi are involved in this process. Regulating the kinds of organic substrates and controlling the physical and chemical attributes of the decomposition environment in the compost pile facilitate the process. Manipulating moisture content, pH, nutrients concentrations and oxygen can bring about increased decomposition rates and changes the characteristics of the compost. Today, enhancement in the modern engineering has resulted in the growing use of composting for municipal and industrial waste treatment and nutrient recovery. The same microbial process is used by the both

Four Spheres of Earth Lithosphere                                 The lithosphere is the solid, rocky crust covering entire planet. This crust is inorganic and is composed of minerals. It covers the entire surface of the earth. The lithosphere is also called as geosphere. Hydrosphere                         The hydrosphere is composed of all of the water on or near the earth. This includes the oceans, rivers, lakes and even the moisture in the air. Ninety seven percent of the earth’s water is in the oceans. The remaining three percent is fresh water; three quarter of the fresh water is solid and exists in ice sheets. Biosphere                   The biosphere is made up of the parts of Earth where life exists. The biosphere extends from the deepest root systems of trees, to the dark environment of ocean trenches, to lush rain forests and high mountains.  The biosphere has existed for about 3.5 billion years. Atmosphere                                 The atmosphere is

Significance of Organic Matter Organic matter is a source of nutrients like N, P and S for plants. Organic matter affects both the physical and chemical properties of the soil and its overall health. It increases water infiltration in soil. It increases water holding capacity. Organic matter can hold 20 times moisture of its weight. Organic matter may bind pesticides making them less active and reduce the risk of pollution. Organic matter enhances the biological activity of soil, therefore crop health and vigor is improved. It increases cation exchange capacity and thus nutrient holding capacity of soil. It chelates (binds) nutrients and thus improves their availability. It is a source of energy for soil microorganisms. It buffers changes in pH. It improves physical condition of soil. It gives dark color to soil and so influences soil temperature. Organic matter is source of growth-promoting substances for plants.