Environmental Systems & Societies SL
9
Chapters
219
Notes
Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies
Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology
Unit 3 - Biodiversity & Conservation
Unit 4 -Water & Aquatic Food Production Systems & Societies
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Unit 6 - Atmospheric Systems & Societies
Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production
Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use
Internal Assessment
Environmental Systems & Societies SL
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Unlocking Soil Secrets: Horizons & Moisture
513 words
3 mins read
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024
Table of content
Soil profiles & horizons - the basics🌍
- What is a Soil Profile?
- It’s like a “slice” of the Earth - a vertical cross-section of the soil layers.
- Contains horizons (layers) with unique properties.
- Earthworms can mix these layers up! 🐛
- Horizons from Top to Bottom:
- O horizon: The "Organic Layer". Think of it as the Earth's "hair"! 🍂
- It's where vegetation sits.
- A horizon: The "Topsoil Layer". Like the Earth’s "skin".
- Dark due to organic matter.
- Ap horizon: Mixed by humans using ploughing. The Earth’s "styled hair"?
- E horizon: The "Eluviation Layer". Ever seen bleach-stained jeans? 🩳
- Where leaching removes materials.
- In a podzol: very light (ash-colored) = Ea.
- In a brown earth: light brown = Eb.
- B horizon: The "Subsoil". The Earth’s "muscles".
- Material from the E horizon gathers here.
- Iron, humus, clay are examples.
- Sometimes it’s weathered.
- Base horizon: The bedrock. The Earth’s "bones".
- Distinguished as rock (r) or loose deposits (u).
States of matter in soil🌧️
- The Solid State:
- Organic and inorganic matter. Think of them as Earth's "building blocks".
- The Liquid State:
- Soil water, which can come from:
- Rainfall 🌧️
- Groundwater 💧
- Seepage (like when you spill a drink and it seeps into the couch)
- The Gaseous State:
- Soil atmosphere. Yes, soil needs to breathe too!
What happens after rain🔄
- Water in soil ↔️ Air in soil. They work like a seesaw.
- More rain = more water, less air (and vice-versa).
- Field Capacity: The maximum amount of water soil can hold (think of a cup being full).
- If soil holds water beyond this, it’s like an overflowing bath. This is called saturation.
- When too much rain falls too quickly, we get overland runoff. Imagine pouring water on a sponge - if you pour too fast, the water just runs off!
Unlock the Full Content! 
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Environmental Systems & Societies SL
Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies
Unlocking Soil Secrets: Horizons & Moisture
513 words
3 mins read
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024
Table of content
Soil profiles & horizons - the basics🌍
- What is a Soil Profile?
- It’s like a “slice” of the Earth - a vertical cross-section of the soil layers.
- Contains horizons (layers) with unique properties.
- Earthworms can mix these layers up! 🐛
- Horizons from Top to Bottom:
- O horizon: The "Organic Layer". Think of it as the Earth's "hair"! 🍂
- It's where vegetation sits.
- A horizon: The "Topsoil Layer". Like the Earth’s "skin".
- Dark due to organic matter.
- Ap horizon: Mixed by humans using ploughing. The Earth’s "styled hair"?
- E horizon: The "Eluviation Layer". Ever seen bleach-stained jeans? 🩳
- Where leaching removes materials.
- In a podzol: very light (ash-colored) = Ea.
- In a brown earth: light brown = Eb.
- B horizon: The "Subsoil". The Earth’s "muscles".
- Material from the E horizon gathers here.
- Iron, humus, clay are examples.
- Sometimes it’s weathered.
- Base horizon: The bedrock. The Earth’s "bones".
- Distinguished as rock (r) or loose deposits (u).
States of matter in soil🌧️
- The Solid State:
- Organic and inorganic matter. Think of them as Earth's "building blocks".
- The Liquid State:
- Soil water, which can come from:
- Rainfall 🌧️
- Groundwater 💧
- Seepage (like when you spill a drink and it seeps into the couch)
- The Gaseous State:
- Soil atmosphere. Yes, soil needs to breathe too!
What happens after rain🔄
- Water in soil ↔️ Air in soil. They work like a seesaw.
- More rain = more water, less air (and vice-versa).
- Field Capacity: The maximum amount of water soil can hold (think of a cup being full).
- If soil holds water beyond this, it’s like an overflowing bath. This is called saturation.
- When too much rain falls too quickly, we get overland runoff. Imagine pouring water on a sponge - if you pour too fast, the water just runs off!
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Environmental Systems & Societies SL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟
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