Soil type
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In agriculture, soil type usually refers to the different sizes of mineral particles in a particular sample. Soil is made up in part of finely ground rock particles, grouped according to size as sand, silt, and clay. Each size plays a significantly different role.
For example, the largest particles, sand, determine aeration and drainage characteristics, while the tiniest, sub-microscopic clay particles, are chemically active, binding with water and plant nutrients. The ratio of these sizes determines soil type: clay, loam, clay-loam, silt-loam, and so on.
However, "soil type" in the broader sense refers to a pedological classification of the natural (or human-influenced) soil. Then, it is more correct to speak of soil class.
Many different types of soil consist of clay, pebbles, gravel, sand, and other minerals. Not all types of soil are permeable. Many fine grained-soils have been broken down for many decades and have become tiny. For example, a pebble once was a big rock. In this case, big rocks became small due to the effects of ocean waves upon the rocks.
There are many recognized soil classifications, both international and national.
See also
- soil structure
- soil survey
- FAO soil classification
- Canadian system of soil classification
- USA soil taxonomy
- International Committee on Anthropogenic Soils (ICOMANTH)
External links
- Soil classification systems (http://clic.cses.vt.edu/icomanth/02-AS_Classification.pdf)
- A Compendium of On-Line Soil Survey Information Soil Classification for Soil Survey (http://www.itc.nl/~rossiter/research/rsrch_ss_class.html)Template:Agri-stub