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Fundamentals of Soil Science - Chapter List
- Introduction to Soil Science
- Rocks, Minerals and Weathering
- Soil Formation and Pedogenic Processes
- Soil Colloids and Silicate Clay Minerals
- Ion Exchange, CEC, AEC and Base Saturation
- Soil Organic Matter
- Soil Profile, Texture and Structure
- Soil Density, Porosity and Consistency
- Soil Temperature, Soil Air and Soil Water
- Soil Reaction and Buffering Capacity
- Soil Taxonomy and Keys to Soil Orders
- Soils of India
Syllabus
Theory
Soil: Pedological and edaphalogical concepts. Rocks and minerals, weathering, Silicate clays: constitution and properties, sources of charge, ion exchange, cation and anion exchange capacity and base saturation (after buffering capacity), Soil formation, Soil organic matter, Pedogenic processes, Soil colloids: inorganic and organic, Properties of soil colloids and Ion exchange in soils, Soil profile, soil texture, soil structure. Bulk density and particle density, soil consistency, soil temperature, soil air, soil water. Soil reaction and buffering capacity. Soil taxonomy, keys to soil orders. Soils of India.
Fundamentals of Soil Science - FAQs
1. What is soil?
Soil is a natural body composed of mineral matter, organic matter, water, air and living organisms that supports plant growth.
2. What is pedology?
Pedology is the branch of soil science that studies soil as a natural body, including its formation, morphology, classification and distribution.
3. What is edaphology?
Edaphology is the study of soil in relation to plant growth and soil management.
4. What are the three major types of rocks?
The three major types are igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
5. What is weathering?
Weathering is the physical disintegration and chemical or biological alteration of rocks and minerals at or near the Earth's surface.
6. What is pedogenesis?
Pedogenesis is the process of soil formation and development through the interaction of soil-forming factors and processes.
7. What are the five soil-forming factors?
The five classical soil-forming factors are climate, organisms, relief, parent material and time.
8. What are soil colloids?
Soil colloids are extremely small soil particles with a large surface area and electrical charge that influence nutrient and water retention.
9. What are the main types of silicate clay minerals?
The important types include 1:1 clay minerals such as kaolinite and 2:1 clay minerals such as smectite, illite and vermiculite.
10. What is CEC?
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) is the total amount of exchangeable cations that a soil can adsorb and exchange.
11. What is base saturation?
Base saturation is the percentage of the cation exchange capacity occupied by basic cations such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.
12. What is soil organic matter?
Soil organic matter includes living organisms, plant and animal residues at different stages of decomposition, and relatively stable organic materials such as humus.
13. What is soil texture?
Soil texture refers to the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay in soil.
14. What is soil structure?
Soil structure is the arrangement of individual soil particles into naturally occurring aggregates or peds.
15. What is bulk density?
Bulk density is the mass of oven-dry soil per unit total volume of soil, including pore spaces.
16. What is soil porosity?
Soil porosity is the percentage of total soil volume occupied by pore spaces containing air and water.
17. What is field capacity?
Field capacity is the amount of water remaining in soil after excess gravitational water has drained away under field conditions.
18. What is soil pH?
Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of soil and is related to the hydrogen ion activity in the soil solution.
19. What are the 12 soil orders in Soil Taxonomy?
The 12 soil orders are Gelisols, Histosols, Spodosols, Andisols, Oxisols, Vertisols, Aridisols, Ultisols, Mollisols, Alfisols, Inceptisols and Entisols.
20. What are the major soils of India?
The major soil groups of India include alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite and lateritic, arid and desert, forest and hill, saline and alkaline, and peaty and marshy soils.
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Last Updated: August 2026
