What determines the dark color of the soil: what colors the soil and determining the shade

The color of the soil is its important characteristic, since it determines belonging to a certain type. Before you understand what the dark or gray color of the soil depends on, you need to familiarize yourself with a set of earthen material. A change in the shade of the soil means a change in the properties of the soil. It is noteworthy that in ancient times, farmers judged the fertility of the soil by the color of the soil.

What determines the color of the soil

Often it is the shade of the earth that determines its name (chernozem, gray forest, red soil, chestnut, podzolic). The amount and color of the substances that make up the soil significantly affect its color.

Common Ingredients:

• The main organic matter containing maximum nutrients for plants is humus. The more it is, the darker the shade of the soil layer. It is the humus content that determines fertility. There are several types of humus: podzolic, sod-podzolic, chernozem. Basic ground tones: gray, dark gray, black;
• mica materials, illite (hydromuscovite) give the earth a brownish tone. Often found in soils formed from rock eruptions;
• The red tone of the soil is given by compounds of iron oxides. The mineral is necessary for plants, since it takes part in oxygen metabolism, redox processes. Iron deficiency provokes a slowdown in plant growth, the synthesis of chlorophyll. A significant content of iron oxide gives the earth a red-brown, red or "rusty" tone.With a small amount of iron oxide, the soil becomes yellowish or orange;
• The soil is painted in light colors with silica, feldspar. A light whitish shade is characteristic of soils containing gypsum, water-soluble s alts.

Naturally, the structure of the earth also affects the hue. Therefore, the lumps appear darker than pulverized or structureless earth. Also, the color of the soil changes after watering (wet is darker than dry). Therefore, it is recommended to evaluate the color by depth cut.

Color identification

When determining this characteristic, it is customary to distinguish between the main tone and shades, since in natural conditions the soil rarely has a single definite color. Common options: dark brown, light brown, dark gray. As a rule, the predominant color is placed last. Color determination sequence:

• set the predominant color. Usually the dark color is due to the presence of pigment;
• determine the saturation of the tone (darkish or lightish);
• stating the presence of shades (brown-brown, brownish-gray).

To evaluate color, several methods are used: Maxwell's rotating disks, visual analyzer, visual description, photometric, visual comparison with a scale. Most often, visual comparison or description is used to evaluate soils.

For visual comparison, it is advisable to collect soil samples on large areas and use them as a standard. If the method of visual description is used, then a comparative survey of the earth is carried out only during the day (with the same lighting) and with a certain degree of moisture.

The shade reflects the features of the soil-forming process. Therefore, a change in color indicates a change in the internal properties of the soil. You also need to take into account that the color of the soil horizons is heterogeneous, often there are transitional or mixed tones.

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