4 Indian Soils - Study of Soil in India

Introduction to Soil

Soil is defined as Upper Most Surfac Layer of Loose or Unconsolidated Materials which Overlie the causal rock on which plants grow

The Mixture of Minerals, Organic Matter, Gases, Liquids and Organisms

Rock is any materail which helps to constitte earths crust can be hard like Granite or Softer Fine like Clay

Ex is of Rock → Granite Rock Contain

Feldspar → Silicates of Al, Na, Ca, K → Used in Ceramic Industry & Glass Industry

Quartzite → Silicon + Oxygen → Watches or Prism

Biotite → Al, Fe etc

Factors Affecting Soil Formation

• Parent Material

  Soil can be - In Situ or Ex Situ (Indo Ganegetic)

  

  Humus Gives → Dark Colors to Soil

• Climate

  

  

  • Process of Leaching for Tropical and Equatorial Climate

    Tropical Climates & Equatorial Climates are → Hot & Humid

    In Layers of Soil there is Al, Fe, Si → Here Temp and Rainfall is very high

    There can be dry to wet spells.

    In this process Silica will get mixed with water and move downards

    Here upper layer is left with Oxides of Iron and Alluminium as Silica has gone Down

    Sun will act on this Oxides, it will break this Iron and the Soil will be called as Laterite Soil or Red Soil

    This Process is called as Laterisation

    Here if Al > Fe → Alfisols

    Here if Fe > Al → Ferrosols

  • Process of Podsolisation for Temperate Climate of Himalayas in Tropical Areas

    1. Rainfall and Evaporation are allmost Equal
    2. Here Soil Moisture will be Balanced too
    3. Coniferous Evergreen Vegetation Leaves have Wax Coating, Hence Relative Moisture Content is High and Transpiration is Low
    4. In Process of Decomposition these Leaves will fall on ground and release water
    5. This Iron Oxides Reacting with water from Leaves and taking air from atm
    6. Here Al and Fe will go down the layers of Soil and Upper Layer will be left with Silica only

  • Process of Salinisation of Deserts

    1. In Desets Evaporation > Precipitation
    2. Hence, Salt will be pumped to the Surface
    3. this is called Salinisation of Soil

  • Difference Between Leaching and Cheluviation

    1. In Leaching Water in action is of Rain Water or River Water
    2. In Cheluviation Water in action is from Chluviating Agents like Leaf etc

  

• Natural Vegetation

  

Processes Involved in Soil Formation

• Organic Accumulation*

  This Process Involves the Accumulation of Decaying Vegetables and Animal Matter on the Ground Surface, the Accumulated Mass Slowly Breaks down to form Humus which is a Major Component of the Soil

  Humus Detemines Fertility of the Soil

• Elluviation*

  This is the Mechanical Washdown of Finer Mineral Particles from the Upper Layer of the Soil into the Middle Lower Layer of the Soul

  Elluviation can also take place in the same layer when the water percolates horizontally

  The Upper Layer from which material has been elluviated is called as Elluvial Zone

  Process - Elluviation

  Jahan Deposition Hua - Illuviation

  Jahan se Deposite Hone ke Liye Nikla - Elluviation Layer

  

• Leaching*

  This is the Removal of Soluble Mineral Material in the Solution from the Upper Layer (Horizon) to the Lower Horizon of the Soil. The Process can be referred as Chemical Elluviation

  It is common in Wet Climates

  Leaching of Minerals causes the Top Soil to be Deficient of Minerals.

• Illuviation

  Illuviation is the Deposition of Material that has been washed down from upper layer to the lower horizon

• Precipitation

  This is the Formation of Solid Material in the Sub Soil. The Solid material is formed from the Solution washed down from Upper Layers through Leaching, Elluviation, Illuviation and precipitation takes place at the same time under the same climatic condition

• Cheluviation*

  This is the Downward Movement of Material in the Soil which is Similar to Leaching. However, Cheluviation occurs through the influence of Organic Agents also called Chelating Agents

  The Process Involves Plant Acids Rather than Mere Water as was in the Case of Leaching

• Organic Sorting

  This is the Separation of material usually of Different Size through Organic Influence

4 Step Process of Soil Formation

Translocation is Upward and Downward Movement → Calcification → Upward && Salination → Downward Movement

Jahan Salinity Badh Jaaye ya Calcium Gir Jaaye Wahan → Lime Stone Add Karna Hai

Pulverisation: Process of Converting Big Soil Particle into Smaller Soil Particles

There is High Capillary Action in Deserts

Agar Soil main Salt Add ho jaaye toh Usme Gypsum or Cowdung ka Layer Add Karo

Other Processes Related to Soil

Physical Property → Texture & Size of Soil

Chemical Property → Alaklinity and Basicity

What Happens to Soil when OH Ions Increases or it becomes more Alkaline ?

Soil Profile & Its Formation

Soil Profile

Process of Soil Profile Formation

Recently Eroded Layers of Mountains

Distribution of Soil in India

• Alluvial Soil

  

  Azonal - Ex Situ && Zonal - In Situ

  Indian Soils are mainly Lacking in Nitrogen

  

• Black Soil

  

  

  

• Red and Yellow Soil

  

• Laterite Soil

  

  

• Arid Soil

  

  in 1974-75 India Started a program called as Command Area Development Program - Creation of Canals and connecting those canals to the field by means of Field Channels

  Harike Wetland - Beas & Sutlej

  

• Indira Gandhi Canal

  

  

  

• Peat and Marshy Soils

  

• Saline Soils

  

  

• Forest - Mountain Soil

  

Soil Erosion

When Re-Generation of Soil is less than the Soil Erosion, It is called as Soil Erosion

It is also called as Splash or Sheet Erosion

From this Landslide - Creep, Sliding, and Slumping could occur

Compassa Magazine of Geography