Describe the effects of edaphic factors on the living organisms
Edaphic factors are those factors related to the soil. The qualities that may characterise the soil include drainage, texture, or chemical properties such as pH. Edaphic factors affect organisms (bacteria, plant life, etc.) that define certain types of ecosystems. There are certain plant and animal types that are specific to areas of a particular soil type. The particular factors we will consider include the pH of the soil and soil structure.
The pH of the soil is a measure of how acid or alkaline soil is and can be measured by using the pH scale. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Neutral solutions have a pH value of 7. Acid solutions have a pH value of less than 7 and alkaline solutions have a pH value greater than 7. Litmus paper or universal indicator can be used to determine whether a solution is acid or alkaline.
Soil Structure: the decomposed organic matter, called humus gives topsoil its dark colour. It supplies plants with nutrients and helps the soil retain water. Soils rich in humus are fertile soils. The specific soil type is determined by the size of particles e.g sand has very large-sized particles, clay has very small-sized particles and loam has a mixture of particle sizes. If you roll moist soil between your fingers, clay soil feels sticky, sandy soil feels gritty and loam soil feels soapy. The water retention capacity of soils is the ability of soil to retain different amounts of water. Clay soil retains a large amount of water. Sandy soil retains very little water. Loam soil retains a moderate amount of water.
Edaphic factors are those factors related to the soil. The qualities that may characterise the soil include drainage, texture, or chemical properties such as pH. Edaphic factors affect organisms (bacteria, plant life, etc.) that define certain types of ecosystems. There are certain plant and animal types that are specific to areas of a particular soil type. The particular factors we will consider include the pH of the soil and soil structure.
The pH of the soil is a measure of how acid or alkaline soil is and can be measured by using the pH scale. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Neutral solutions have a pH value of 7. Acid solutions have a pH value of less than 7 and alkaline solutions have a pH value greater than 7. Litmus paper or universal indicator can be used to determine whether a solution is acid or alkaline.
Soil Structure: the decomposed organic matter, called humus gives topsoil its dark colour. It supplies plants with nutrients and helps the soil retain water. Soils rich in humus are fertile soils. The specific soil type is determined by the size of particles e.g sand has very large-sized particles, clay has very small-sized particles and loam has a mixture of particle sizes. If you roll moist soil between your fingers, clay soil feels sticky, sandy soil feels gritty and loam soil feels soapy. The water retention capacity of soils is the ability of soil to retain different amounts of water. Clay soil retains a large amount of water. Sandy soil retains very little water. Loam soil retains a moderate amount of water.
