A. What’s in the soil?

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Primary minerals, such as those found in sand and silt, are those soil materials that are similar to the parent
material from which they formed. They are often round or irregular in shape.
Secondary minerals result from the weathering of the primary minerals, which releases important ions and
forms more stable mineral forms such as silicate clay.
Mineral Group Specific Example(s) Primary or Secondary
feldspars orthoclase, plagioclase primary
nesosilicates forsterite (olivine) primary
diopside (pyroxene)
chain silicates primary
hornblende (amphibole)
network silicates quartz primary
layer silicates (clay minerals) montmorillonite, biotite, muscovite primary or secondary
carbonates calcite secondary

Guide Questions:
1. What is the importance of minerals in the soil?
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2. What are the two types of minerals?
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3. What is the difference between primary and secondary minerals?
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4. Give examples of primary and secondary minerals.
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 B. What’s in the soil? ____________________

a. Gravitational water
• water that drains through the pore spaces in the soil as a result of gravity. Gravitational water
flows quickly through soil that has large pores and slowly through soil with small pores.
• Movement of water is referred to as leaching. As water moves through the soil, it carries
dissolved minerals, chemicals, and salts.
b. Capillary water
• water that is held between the particles of soil against the forces of gravity.
• It may move upward or sideways by capillary action.
• Clay soils hold more capillary water since they have more pore spaces.
c. Hydroscopic water water that forms a thin film around individual soil particles.
This water is unavailable to plants.
Guide Questions:
1. What is the importance of water in the soil?
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2. What are the three types of soil water?
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3. Describe each type of soil water. How do they differ from one another?
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C. What’s in the soil? _______________________

1. Describe organic matter?

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2. What are the components of organic matter in the soil?
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3. What is the importance of organic matter in the soil?
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D. What’s in the soil? ______________________

Soil gases are the gases found in the air space between soil components. The primary soil gases include
nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen. The oxygen is critical because it allows for respiration of both
plant roots and soil organisms.

1. What is the importance of gases in the soil?

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2. What are the primary gases in the soil? Describe each.
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3. What is the most important gas in the soil?
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E. What’s in the soil? ______________________________

Microorganisms are the final basic element of soils, and they are found in the soil in very high numbers
but make up much less than 1% of the soil volume. A common estimate is that one thimble full of
topsoil may hold more than 20,000 microbial organisms.

The largest of these organisms are earthworms and nematodes and the smallest are bacteria,
actinomycetes, algae, and fungi. Microorganisms are the primary decomposers of raw organic matter.
Decomposers consume organic matter, water, and air to recycle raw organic matter into humus, which
is rich in readily available plant nutrients.

1. What is the importance of microorganisms in the soil?

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2. Give examples of large organisms in the soil. What is their purpose in the soil?
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3. Give examples of small organisms in the soil. What is their purpose in the soil?
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