The Soil

Profile
 A soil is considered to have
formed as a result of the
interaction of a parent material,
climate, and living organisms as
influenced by relief or
topography through time (S/s =
f (cl, o, r, p, t . . . ).
 In general, soils acquire their
properties over long periods of time
measured in hundreds and thousand
years. The modern soil we see, therefore,
owes its properties to the
(1) composition of the surficial layer
present when the current array of environmental
factors started their effect, and
(2) the modifications resulting from the
effect of these factors over time.
 The soil profile is the vertical
section of the soil showing the different
layers called horizons. Horizons are
delineated based on color differences,
i.e. a horizon that exhibit a color
different from the other is considered as
an independent horizon.
 Simonson (1959) discussed the
general concepts of (1) gains, (2) losses,
(3) translocations, (4) transformations,
thus, by inferring the initial state of
materials accumulated in a profile and
observing the present state of a soil, the
overall net changes of soil development
and combinations and rates of
processes could be estimated. This will
also help in the proper description of the
individual horizons which are grouped
into master, transition, and subdivision
horizons.
 Due to the gradational nature
of soils, arbitrary limits must be
placed on the size of soil bodies
used for description as well as for
classification. For descriptive
purposes, the size is limited to that of
the pedon which is the smallest unit
or volume that can be called a soil.
 A pedon should be no larger
than is necessary to show the
nature of a soil profile.
By definition, it is restricted to an
area of between 1 sq. m and 10 sq. m ,
the actual size depending on the
character of the profile under
consideration.
The Master
Horizons
Theoretically, there are
five master horizons in a profile
as follows:
 O - a layer dominated by organic
material forming at the surface of a
mineral soil.

A - a mineral horizon that formed

at the surface or below an O horizon and
characterized by an accumulation of
humified OM and have properties
resulting from cultivation, pasturing or
similar kinds of disturbance.
 E – mineral horizon in which the main
feature is loss of silicate clay, Fe, Al, or some
combination of these, leaving a concentration of
sand and silt particles of quartz or other resistant
minerals.

B – horizon that formed below an A, E or

O and are dominated by CO3, gypsum or silica
alone or in combination; evidence of removal of
CO3 concentrations of sesquioxides, alterations
that forms silicate clays, formation of granular,
blocky or prismatic structure, or combination of
these.
 C – horizon or layer excluding
hard bedrock that are little affected by
pedogenic processes and lack properties
of O, A, E, or B horizons.

R – hard bedrock (strictly not a

horizon) to include granite, basalt, etc
and indurated limestone or sandstone
that is sufficiently coherent to make hand
digging impractical.
Transition horizons
Properties of an overlying
or underlying horizons are
superimposed on properties of
the other throughout the
transition zone.
Examples: OA, AO, AB, BA, EB,
BE, BC, (there’s no CB transition
horizons)
Transition horizons
OA horizons is described as
a transition horizon between O
and A where the properties are
more similar to O horizon.
Therefore, in writing the
symbol for transitional horizon,
what is written first is the horizon
where the properties have more
similarities.
Transition horizons
If there are distinct parts that are
characteristic of one master horizon and
are recognizable and enclose are parts
characteristic of second recognizable
master horizon, then the symbol is written
as below.
Examples: O/A, A/O, A/B, B/A, E/B, E/B,
B/C
• O/A horizon is one where the properties
observable are distinct enough to be
similar with O and other parts or portions
are similar to A.
Subdivision Horizon
horizons are subdivided if
the layer is thick enough (40cm
or more) and the numbering will
start a new from one.
Examples: Ap1, Ap2; Bt1, Btg1,
Btg2; B1, B2
Subordinate Distinctions Between
Master Horizons
Distinct properties observed during description are
indicated in the master horizon where these are
observed using symbols (suffix letters) as follows:

• a- (sapric) highly decomposed organic material

• c- concretions or hard non-concretionary nodules of
Fe, Al, Mn or Ti cement
• e- organic material of intermediate decomposition
• g- strong gleying in which Fe has been reduced or
removed
• i- slightly decomposed OM
• p- plowing or other disturbance of the surface layer
• n- accumulation of sodium
• t- accumulation of silicate clay
Subordinate Distinctions
Between Master Horizons
A figure Suffix indicates
subdivisions of a horizon. The numbering
is done consecutively (e.g. Bt1, Bt2; C1)..