UNL Considering an area called the Sand Hills, one might think first of the sandy nature of the soils. Because they formed in sand blown into dunes as recently as a few thousand years ago, this is certainly an important aspect of these soils. But there is more to the soils of the Sand Hills than just their sandiness. To fully appreciate the nature of the Sand Hills soils one needs to understand what usually happens as soil forms. The properties of any given soil at any given place result from weathering of the parent material.
Vegetation living on the soil dies, decomposes, and is mixed with the upper part of the soil.
Through time, this darkens the upper part of the soil. Certain minerals in the parent material weather and release elements into the soil. Some of these form clays that move downward with water moving through the soil. These clays accumulate in the subsoil. Leaching is low because much of the moisture that falls is used by grasses growing on the soil.