Introduction to the Biogeochemistry of Soils

Chapter 4 is an introduction to the architecture and makeup of soils as observed during study and sampling. This chapter is abridged in such a way as to provide an understandable foundation for the following chapters. In the classroom, this chapter can be presented and illustrated with any number of soil profile photos, and associated data, all of which are readily accessible on the internet. Additionally, even in urban settings, a class can be taught outdoors near the classroom, and a soil core can be extracted, laid sequentially on a tarp, and examined using the concepts and terms introduced in the chapter.