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Higher GeographyPhysical
EnvironmentsBiosphere
Soils
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The 3 types of soil studied as part of the Higher Geography course are:
Higher Geography course
• Gleys• Podzols• Brown Earths
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Characteristics of Brown Earths
• Free draining• Brown/reddish brown• Deciduous woodland• Litter rich in nutrients• Intense biological
activity e.g. earthworms
• Mull humus
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Brown Earth Profile
• Ah-topsoil dark coloured enriched with mull humus, variable depth
• B - subsoil with distinctive brown/red brown colours
• Lightening in colour as organic matter/iron content decreases with depth
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Brown Earth: Soil forming factors
• Relatively warm, dry• Climate
• Generally low lying• Topography
• Vegetation/organisms • Broadleaf woodland, mull humus, indistinct horizons
• Rapid decomposition• Often earthworms and
other mixers
• Variable soil texture• Parent material
• Since end of last ice age c10,000 years
• Time
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Help create a good and well aggregated, aerated and fertile crumb structured soil
Organisms in Brown Earths
Thin section of soil showing enchytraeid faecal material
False colour SEM of mixture of soil fungi and bacteria
Earthworm activity is important in soil mixing
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Uses of Brown Earths
• Amongst the most fertile soils in Scotland
• Used extensively for agriculture e.g. winter vegetables
• Fertilisers required to maintain nutrient levels under agriculture
• Occurring on gently undulating terrain - used extensively for settlement and industry
• Sheltered sites suit growth of trees
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Test yourself: Brown Earths
Write down 3 characteristics of a brown earth
Draw a sketch profile of a brown earth labelling the different horizons with the correct letters
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Podzol
Podzol - from the Russian words;
pod = under
zola = ash
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Characteristics of Podzols
• Extensive group of leached, acidic soils• Distinctive light coloured horizon found
immediately below organic debris - eluvial horizon formed due to loss of iron/aluminium by leaching
• Mor humus with no recognisable plant remains• Brightly coloured zone of iron/aluminium
deposition - illuvial horizon• Darker zone of organic deposition• Relatively unaltered C horizon at variable depth• Most podzols are free draining
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Podzol Profile
• L - fresh annually supplied acidic plant material
• LF - partially decomposed organic debris
• H - mor humus• E - eluvial horizon loss
of Fe/Al oxides• Bh - illuvial horizon-
deposition of Fe/Al oxides
• Hardpan - zone of induration
A h
oriz
on
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Podzol: Soil forming factors
• Time • Since end of last ice age 10,000 years
• Topography • Stable sites from sea level to mountain summits
• Climate • Cool• Precipitation greater than
evaporation
• Vegetation/ organisms
• Coniferous woodland/heather moorland
• Slow breakdown, limited or no mixing
• Acid rocks, often from granite or schist
• Parent material
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Organisms in podzols -Organic matter breakdown
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Alpine podzol
Shallow podzol found in high
altitudes
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Uses of Podzols
• Generally infertile, non-productive • Principally used for forestry and recreation (e.g.
forestry plantations, grouse moors). In Scotland also used for grass production and stock rearing
• Where used for agriculture the top soil is often limed (to decrease acidity) and artificially fertilised (to increase nutrient status)
• Continual fertilisation and liming necessary to maintain adequate yields
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If you were undertaking soil fieldwork and were studying this profile what evidence is there to show that this soil is a podzol ?
“Describe and analyse a podzol profile”
GMT
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Test yourself: Podzol
• List the different types of vegetation that may be found associated with podzols
• Explain why the eluvial horizon is ash grey in colour
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Gley
Gley-from the Russian word; glei= compact bluish grey
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Characteristics of Gley soils
• Poorly drained• Periodic or permanent waterlogging • Lack of oxygen in pore space = anaerobic
conditions• Chemical reduction occurs prior to translocation• Grey or bluish grey colour to subsoil• Where gleying is intermittent, orange/yellow
coloured mottling can occur• Horizons generally rich in organic matter
intergrading into peat deposits - peaty gley to peat
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Gley profile
• O - organic layer
• Bg - B horizon with evidence of gleying
• Cg - C horizon with evidence of gleying
Orange/yellow mottles
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Gley: Soil forming factors
• Since end of last ice age 10,000 years ago
• Time
• Where groundwater high/ impermeable layer below
• Topography
• Relatively warm• Precipitation greater than
evaporation - leaching
• Climate
• Anaerobic organisms found• Vegetation/organisms
• Parent material • Variable - coastal sand to glacial till
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Anaerobic organisms in gleys
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Uses of Gleys
When drained, the better gley soils can be used for agriculture; usually productive grassland for dairy or beef cattle
In their natural state they support wet plant species and are used for rough grazing and forestry
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Mottling
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Test yourself: Gley
What does “anaerobic” mean?
Where in a landscape would you find a gley?
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Soil fieldwork
Soil pit examination Soil texture test
Soil colour recordingSoil sampling
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Follow up laboratory work
pH (acidity) testing
Soil moisture content
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Soil revision ideas
• Draw out each of the 3 soil profiles with and without labels e.g. on a separate index card for each soil
• Shade/highlight the soil characteristics in one colour and soil processes in another
• Make photocopies of the profile without labels and practice labelling it when revising
• Write out some one word answer questions such as those on the following slides
• Test yourself using past paper questions
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Test yourself - 10 questionsone word answers
• Name of the zone that material moves out of in a podzol
• Type of humus found in brown earths• The term used for a downward movement of
minerals in a soil caused by precipitation being greater than evaporation
• F refers to ….. in a soil profile• The h in Ah refers to ...
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Test yourself - 10 questionscontinued
• The type of vegetation found above a podzol• Typical colour of the sub soil in a Gley• In Brown Earths the horizons are often
indistinct due to the activity of ….• The acidic humus found in a podzol is known
as …..• The iron pan in a podzol is a zone of ...
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Question 6: Biosphere
• Describe the different properties (horizons, colour, texture, drainage) of the two soils shown.
• Explain the differences in their formation.
SQA past questions2006
Study Reference Diagram Q6 which shows soil profiles for a podzol and a brown earth
PODZOLBROWN EARTH
Reference Diagram Q6
(Selected soil profiles)
Marks 14
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Question 6: Biosphere
(i) Describe the characteristics of the soil, including horizons, colour, texture and drainage.
SQA past questions2007
Study Reference Diagram Q6A which shows two soil profiles.
PODZOL GLEY
Reference Diagram Q6A (Selected soil
profiles)
Marks 6
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The Macaulay Institute web site links
http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/soilposters/index.html