Land Management & Natural Hazards Unit	SOIL
European Commission	Joint Research Centre	Institute for Environment and Sustainability		EU Soils Web Site
Soil Atlas of Europe

Introduction

Cultivated soil allows the production of crops that are essential for human existence (EM).

Soil can vary enormously. Soil characteristics can change across the landscape and also with depth. The soil under your feet will be quite different from that just 40cm deeper. The above picture shows the vertical changes in a soil profile that has developed on the flood plain of a river valley. The dark band below the surface is rich in organic matter while the pale zone below is due to the accumulation of lime (calcium carbonate) by water percolating through the soil. Note the presence of gravels deposited by the river at the base of the profile (EM).

Page 8
Previous Page		Next Page
	Contents Page