soil test kits

* Organic - this soil is mainly composed of organic matter in various stages of decomposition. Organic soils are common in fens and bogs. The profiles of these soils have an obvious absence of mineral soil particles. Figure 14: Luvisol Profile. (Source: Soil Landscapes of Canada, Version 2.2, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 1996) * Organic - this soil is mainly composed of organic matter in various stages of decomposition. Organic soils are common in fens and bogs. The profiles of these soils have an obvious absence of mineral soil particles. Andisols develop from volcanic parent materials. Volcanic deposits have a unique process of weathering that causes the accumulation of allophane and oxides of iron and aluminum in developing soils. Figure 11: Flooded Gleysolic Landscape (Atlantic Coast). (Source: Soil Landscapes of Canada, Version 2.2, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 1996) * Brunisol - is a normally immature soil commonly found under forested ecosystems. The most identifying trait of these soils is the presence of a B horizon that is brownish in color. The soils under the dry pine forests of south-central British Columbia are typically brunisols.

Figure 5: Brunisolic Pine Landscape (Central British Columbia). (Source: Soil Landscapes of Canada, Version 2.2, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 1996) * Brunisol - is a normally immature soil commonly found under forested ecosystems. The most identifying trait of these soils is the presence of a B horizon that is brownish in color. The soils under the dry pine forests of south-central British Columbia are typically brunisols. Figure 12: Gleysol Profile. (Source: Soil Landscapes of Canada, Version 2.2, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 1996) * Podzol - is a soil commonly found under coniferous forests. Its main identifying traits are a poorly decomposed organic layer, an eluviated A horizon, and a B horizon with illuviated organic matter, aluminum, and iron. The forested regions of southern Ontario and the temperate rainforests of British Columbia normally have podzolic soils. * Solonetzic - is a grassland soil where high levels of evapotranspiration cause the deposition of salts at or near the soil surface. Solonetzic soils are common in the dry regions of the prairies where evapotranspiration greatly exceeds precipitation input. The movement of water to the earth's surface because of capillary action, transpiration, and evaporation causes the deposition of salts when the water evaporates into the atmosphere.