We explain what the types of soil are and the characteristics of sandy, limestone, humus-bearing, clayey soils and more.
What are the types of soils?
Is named I usually or earth to the most superficial region of the Cortex of our planet, the only biologically active one, product of the disintegration of rocks and the accumulation of organic material. It is a layer subjected to the action of climatic elements and human action: it is there where crops are sown, minerals are extracted and our nations are built.
The soils have a vital importance, since in their bosom the transformations of the Energy and of the matter. They can be considered as a fundamental resource and non-renewable of our planet, especially when we refer to fertile and cultivable soils. They are not uniformly distributed throughout the world, but rather vary according to geographical features and climatic conditions.
There are several points of view from which we can classify the different soils that exist. Some of them, for example, take into account the physical characteristics of the environment, thus distinguishing between young soils, thin soils, soils with water deposits or clay accumulation.
However, the most important classification is the one that distinguishes between soils by looking at their composition and structure, that is, the way they are shaped. This last classification distinguishes between the types detailed below.
sandy soils
As their name suggests, these soils are mostly composed of sand, that is, they are loose fragments of rocks and minerals of a very small size (between 0.063 and 2 mm). These soils have very little organic matter in comparison and are poorly able to retain water, so they are not fertile or suitable for cultivation.
Even so, some plant species have adapted to life in them, using strategic resources to retain the available water in their bodies. Sandy soils are typical of coastal or desert regions.
limestone soils
Limestone refers to those soils that have a high content of calcareous salts (lime), typical of arid and dry places, since the water normally makes these chemical components flow and dilutes their concentration.
These are white or brownish soils, hard and easy to erode, which, despite having a relative mineral wealth, are not very suitable for cultivation. farming and cultivation. Limestone soils are typical of mountainous plateaus, arid plains and tundra, that is, places where it rains sporadically, but when it rains, they are flooded.
Humid soils
Humid soils are black or dark soils, since they are rich in organic matter in the process of decomposition (humus). For this reason they retain water very well, and are considered the most suitable for cultivation and agriculture.
Their formation occurs thanks to the accumulation and decomposition of animal and plant remains, which is why they are typical of jungle, country or high biotic presence regions.
clay soils
As its name indicates, these are soils that have a high clay content, that is, the remains of sedimentary rocks with aluminum silicates, such as feldspar or granite, so their color tends to range from white (higher purity ) to orange (lower purity).
The main characteristic of these soils is that they are very susceptible to water retention, since their components tend to form colloids when hydrated, quickly becoming saturated and thus producing floods.
In general, this makes them unsuitable for cultivation and agriculture, but through a mixture with humus and organic matter, they can be used for planting, as long as drainage and acidity are controlled. These soils are typical of temperate humid regions.
rocky soils
Stony soils are composed of rocks and rock fragments of large and varied sizes, that is, they are soils recognizable to the naked eye as accumulations of stone.
These are complex soils, with little water retention capacity, whose handling requires first removing the stones and often also leveling work, since they are typical of mountainous regions. They are not good soils for agriculture, although some wild plant species are adapted to them.
mixed floors
This last category contains soils that mix the properties of clayey and sandy soils, thus obtaining an intermediate type of soil that enjoys the advantages and disadvantages of both cases.
They can be more or less arid, depending on the climatology of their regions, and their fertility will depend largely on the presence of organic matter. In general, they can be classified according to their texture into fine and coarse, and according to their porosity into flocculated, aggregated or dispersed.