Education

The 80 soil monoliths on display represent main groups in the world (i.e. the 32 major soil groups of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources) and the variation of soils within those groups

Soils are presented according to their dominant soil forming factor and in special themes such as land management and soil colour. Soils of the Netherlands are highlights is a separate section in the context of the Dutch landscape. This selection of typical Dutch soils is appreciated by both international visitors and specific groups, such as secondary and primary school classes.

Information sources  

FAQ:

Question: I wonder how time affects the soil?

Answer: Over time soils continue to change and indeed develop different properties that change their appearance. This may be reflected in the properties like the color and the structure. Soil are not stable, they continue to change over time. We can say that soils go through development phases. Some soils may be considered 'young' and other soils may be regarded 'old'. Soils are considered a finite resource as their formation and development requires hundreds to thousands of year, as their loss and degradation is not recoverable within a human lifespan.

Question: How was soil made? I mean, what forms soil?

Answer: The environmental conditions that influence soil the physical, chemical and biological processes that are involved in soil formation are commonly known as the five soil forming factors: Climate, Organisms (flora and fauna, including human activity), relief or terrain, parent material and time. There is a nice webpage that explains this in more detail:link