11 Soil
Things to The Big
learn Idea
1. Formation of soil
Soil is very important for
2. Composition of soil life to exist on the Earth.
3. Soil erosion and conservation It helps plants to grow and
provides home to many
small animals and insects.
Let’s Go
Observe the sequence
of pictures. Draw the
last picture in the
sequence.
1 2
3 4
FORMATION OF SOIL
We know that soil is formed by the continuous weathering of rocks. Big rocks are
broken down into small grains by natural forces such as wind and rain. The process
of weathering takes millions of years. Besides the natural factors, the hardness of a
particular rock also determines how easily it can break into pieces. These grains are
further reduced to fine powder, which mixes with the remains of plants and animals
(humus) and forms soil. Finally, a layer of soil particles is formed.
COMPOSITION OF SOIL
Soil is made up of sand, silt, clay, along with humus, air and water. Other than
this, soil also contains pebbles and stones (gravel) and minerals such as calcium,
potassium and iron. Sand particles are the largest particles of soil. Silt particles are
medium-sized, and clay particles are the smallest in size.
Types of Soil
Soil is formed by the breakdown of rocks
over a long period of time. The size, feel,
colour and composition of rocks will
determine the kind of soil that would be
formed at a place.
Depending on its physical appearence and
feel, soil is of three main types: clayey,
sandy and loamy.
Clayey Soil: It consists of clay particles
in greater proportion. Clay particles are Clayey soil
smooth when dry, and become sticky and
lumpy when wet. They hold a lot of water
and water does not flow out easily from this
soil. Therefore, plants do not grow well in
clayey soil.
Sandy Soil: It consists of sand particles in
greater proportion. Sand is rough and non-
sticky when dry. It does not hold much
water and drains all of it. Therefore, plants
do not grow very well in this soil as well.
Sandy soil
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Loamy Soil: Plants grow very well in loamy
soil. This soil is a mixture of clay, sand and
humus in an equal amount. It is called loam
or garden soil. It also contains minerals,
air, small organisms and microbes, which
provide excellent conditions for growing
plants.
Loamy soil
LET'S INVESTIGATE
Take some clayey soil in a funnel with filter paper. Pour one glass of
water through this soil and observe for a minute.
1. Did all the water pass through the soil? ______________
2. Does the soil hold a lot of water in it? _____________
3. If you add sand to this soil, will the speed of water passing through the soil
increase or reduce? ________________
Which of these soils is more porous: clayey soil or clayey soil mixed with sand?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Layers of Soil: Soil Profile
Mix a handful of soil in a glass of water. Wait for 15-20 minutes. What do
you observe?
If you visit a construction site being dug up, you will be able to see the different
layers of soil clearly. Layers of soil depict the soil profile.
Observe the layers of soil in the given picture. There are three clear layers in the
soil profile.
The uppermost layer or the topsoil contains particles of clay, sand, humus and
water. Air is packed in the space between the particles of this layer. Tiny animals
insects, and organisms are also found in this layer. This layer contains all the
important nutrients for the growth of plants. Hence, this layer is important for
agriculture/vegetation.
The second layer is called the subsoil. It is found just beneath the topsoil and
contains some humus and broken pieces of rocks.
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The innermost layer of soil is called the bedrock. It is found under the subsoil and
mainly consists of large pieces of rock.
humus
topsoil
subsoil
weathered rock
fragments
bedrock
Soil profile
TIME PLEASE
A. Give one word for the following.
1. Soil is formed by the weathering of this: ________________________
2. Soil that allows water to pass through it: ________________________
3. Soil that becomes sticky when wet: ________________________
4. Soil that is best suited for growing plants: ________________________
5. The uppermost layer of soil: ________________________
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B. Write the names of the different layers to label the soil profile correctly.
SOIL EROSION AND CONSERVATION
Whenever there is a strong wind or water current, a lot of loose topsoil gets washed
away. This results in the loss of topsoil, which is the most fertile layer for plants.
It is important to plant more trees that can bind soil particles together and prevent
the topsoil from being washed away. The wearing away of topsoil, by the action of
strong wind and rain is called soil erosion. Heavy rainfall, strong winds and floods
are known to increase the rate of soil erosion.
It is very important to preserve topsoil. The prevention of soil erosion is called soil
conservation. We can conserve soil in the following ways:
1. We should not cut down trees. We should also encourage planting more trees
to replace any trees that are cut.
2. Land should not be left barren. Trees and shrubs should be planted, so that
soil is not left loose and cannot be eroded easily.
3. Floods should be kept in control by building dams and canals.
Soil Fertility
The ability of soil to allow growth of plants is called soil fertility. If we keep planting
one kind of crop on a piece of land, the soil loses its fertility. It is important to grow
different crops at different times on a piece of land, to restore the nutrients of the
soil. This practice of growing different crops in the same piece of land is called crop
rotation. The practice of crop rotation helps in soil conservation.
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Soil also gets polluted in many ways: farmers add pesticides along with manure, in
agricultural fields, chemicals and fertilizers from factories are left in the soil, and
household and factory garbage are dumped in the soil, polluting it further.
Using pesticides Garbage dump
Words humus: dead remains of plants and animals that make the soil fertile
to know loam: garden soil made up of clay, sand, gravel, humus and water
soil profile: the different layers of soil are topsoil, subsoil and bedrock
soil erosion: the wearing away of topsoil by the action of strong wind and rain
soil conservation: the activities that prevent soil erosion
crop rotation: the practice of growing different crops in the same piece of land
Let's Recall
1. Soil acts as the bed for plants and provides home to many small animals and insects.
2. Soil is formed by the breakdown of rocks over a long period of time.
3. The size, feel, colour, and composition of rocks determine the kind of soil that would be
formed at a place.
4 Depending on its look and feel, soil is of three main types: clayey, sandy and loamy.
5. Plants grow very well in a soil that is a mixture of clay, sand, and humus. This mixture is
called loam or garden soil.
6. There are three clear layers in the soil profile: the topsoil that contains particles of clay,
sand, humus and water, the subsoil that contains a lot of water and is mainly made up of
broken pieces of rocks, and the lowermost layer of soil called the bedrock, which mainly
consists of large pieces of rocks.
7. The topsoil can get washed off by the action of strong wind and water. The prevention of
soil erosion is called soil conservation.
8. It is important to grow different crops at different times on a piece of land, to restore the
nutrients of the soil. The practice of crop rotation helps in soil conservation.
9. Soil gets polluted in many ways.
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LET'S PRACTISE
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.
1. __________ (Sandy/Clayey) soil holds more water.
2. Garden soil is also called ____________ (gravel/loam).
3. Plants grow in the ________________ (topsoil/subsoil).
4. Soil _________________ (erosion/conservation) refers to the removal of fertile
topsoil.
5. We can restore soil fertility by ______________ (soil conservation/crop rotation).
B. Tick the correct option.
1. Which of these rock qualities determines the type of soil present in an area?
a. Size b. Texture
c. Colour and composition d. All of these
2. Which of these is best suited for growing crops?
a. Clayey soil b. Sandy soil
c. Gravel d. Loamy soil
3. Which of these cause soil erosion?
a. Floods b. Barren lands
c. Cutting down trees d. All of these
C. Short answer questions
1. What is soil?
2. What determines the kind of soil found at a particular area?
3. What does garden soil contain?
4. What is soil erosion?
5. List three ways to conserve soil.
D. Long answer questions
1. Explain the features of different kinds of soils.
2. Describe the soil profile of a place.
3. Describe how crop rotation can help to restore the fertility of soil.
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21st
LET'S OBSERVE C E N T U RY
SKILLS
Observe the picture carefully and answer the
following questions.
1. What will happen to the soil of this area, in
case of heavy rain?
2. What can you do to prevent such a condition?
3. Suggest some ways to make this area
beautiful.
LET'S APPLY
Take some soil in a pot and place vegetable peels in it. Now, cover it with another
layer of soil, and keep this soil wet. After 15-20 days, gently remove the top layer
and observe the condition of the vegetable remains. Note your observations.
What do you think happened to the vegetable peels?
I CAN
I can do it on my own. I can do it with help.
explain the process of
formation of soil.
identify and name the
layers of soil.
explain soil erosion and
list steps to conserve soil.
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