Page 44 - GRIHA Manual Volume II - Introduction to National Rating System
P. 44
36 GrIha Manual: Volume 2
bacteria, microbes, fungi, plants, insects, birds, and animals. Changing the soil type then has a
destructive impact on the all the above aspects.
Vegetative cover such as grass and trees also hold the soil together via their roots, and prevent
it from eroding.
Soil loses its stability due to excess excavation in its immediate periphery, or is damaged due to
spilling of harmful chemicals such as solvents, paints and oils that are used in the construction process.
The following aspects have an impact on the soil type and formation (soil pedogenesis).
climate: Climate regulates soil formation. Soils are more developed in areas with higher rainfall
and more warmth. The rate of chemical weathering increases by 2–3 times when the temperature
increases by 10 °C (18 °F). Climate also affects the organisms present, affecting the soil chemically
and physically (movement of roots).
organisms: The organisms living in and on the soil form distinct soil types. Coniferous forests have
acidic leaf litter and form what are known as inceptisols. Mixed or deciduous forests leave a larger
layer of humus, changing the elements leached and accumulated in the soil, forming alfisols. Prairies
have very high humus accumulation, creating a dark, thick horizon characteristic of mollisols.
parent material: The rock from which soil is formed is called parent material. The main types are:
aeolian, glacial till, glacial outwash, alluvium, lacustrine parent material and residual parent material,
or bedrock.
Pedologists use the following generic functional relationship, initially proposed by Hans Jenny,
for understanding soil formation.
S = f (cl, o, r, p, t, ...)
Where
S – soil properties; cl – regional climate; o – potential biota (organisms including humans);
r – relief (topography); p – parent material; t – time; ... – additional variables
Biochemically, soil has certain characteristics such as the following.
# pH level (which should be in the range of 6.00 to 7.50),
# Dissolved organic carbon (which should be in the range of 0.5% to 1.0%),
# Basic organic nutrients such as
• Nitrogen (which should be in the range of 281 to 560),
• Phosphorus (which should be in the range of 10 to 25) and
• Potassium ammonium acetate (which should be in the range of 120 to 280)
This is specific to the area where the soil is from, and can vary within a radius of a few hundred
metres; in some cases, lesser. Soil also impacts the hydro-geology of the area that it is specific, since
the density and composition of the top layer of soil determines the speed, fast or slow, of surface
water that percolates into the ground.
In terms of planning, during construction, run-off water from construction activities and rainfall
carries a lot of loose soils along with it as it flows off the site.
Getting soil from elsewhere requires excavating at the source and disrupting the plantation at
that site. Delays are also caused in construction completion and landscape activities since the soil
has to be sourced at a certain price from other areas.
bacteria, microbes, fungi, plants, insects, birds, and animals. Changing the soil type then has a
destructive impact on the all the above aspects.
Vegetative cover such as grass and trees also hold the soil together via their roots, and prevent
it from eroding.
Soil loses its stability due to excess excavation in its immediate periphery, or is damaged due to
spilling of harmful chemicals such as solvents, paints and oils that are used in the construction process.
The following aspects have an impact on the soil type and formation (soil pedogenesis).
climate: Climate regulates soil formation. Soils are more developed in areas with higher rainfall
and more warmth. The rate of chemical weathering increases by 2–3 times when the temperature
increases by 10 °C (18 °F). Climate also affects the organisms present, affecting the soil chemically
and physically (movement of roots).
organisms: The organisms living in and on the soil form distinct soil types. Coniferous forests have
acidic leaf litter and form what are known as inceptisols. Mixed or deciduous forests leave a larger
layer of humus, changing the elements leached and accumulated in the soil, forming alfisols. Prairies
have very high humus accumulation, creating a dark, thick horizon characteristic of mollisols.
parent material: The rock from which soil is formed is called parent material. The main types are:
aeolian, glacial till, glacial outwash, alluvium, lacustrine parent material and residual parent material,
or bedrock.
Pedologists use the following generic functional relationship, initially proposed by Hans Jenny,
for understanding soil formation.
S = f (cl, o, r, p, t, ...)
Where
S – soil properties; cl – regional climate; o – potential biota (organisms including humans);
r – relief (topography); p – parent material; t – time; ... – additional variables
Biochemically, soil has certain characteristics such as the following.
# pH level (which should be in the range of 6.00 to 7.50),
# Dissolved organic carbon (which should be in the range of 0.5% to 1.0%),
# Basic organic nutrients such as
• Nitrogen (which should be in the range of 281 to 560),
• Phosphorus (which should be in the range of 10 to 25) and
• Potassium ammonium acetate (which should be in the range of 120 to 280)
This is specific to the area where the soil is from, and can vary within a radius of a few hundred
metres; in some cases, lesser. Soil also impacts the hydro-geology of the area that it is specific, since
the density and composition of the top layer of soil determines the speed, fast or slow, of surface
water that percolates into the ground.
In terms of planning, during construction, run-off water from construction activities and rainfall
carries a lot of loose soils along with it as it flows off the site.
Getting soil from elsewhere requires excavating at the source and disrupting the plantation at
that site. Delays are also caused in construction completion and landscape activities since the soil
has to be sourced at a certain price from other areas.
