20 Facts About Soil

Soil, commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life.

Soil is a product of several factors: the influence of climate, relief, organisms, and the soil's parent materials interacting over time.

Soil science has two basic branches of study: edaphology and pedology.

Soil has a mean prokaryotic density of roughly 10 organisms per gram, whereas the ocean has no more than 10 prokaryotic organisms per milliliter of seawater.

Soil texture is determined by the relative proportions of the individual particles of sand, silt, and clay that make up the soil.

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Soil pH is a function of many soil forming factors, and is generally lower where weathering is more advanced.

Soil is said to be formed when organic matter has accumulated and colloids are washed downward, leaving deposits of clay, humus, iron oxide, carbonate, and gypsum, producing a distinct layer called the B horizon.

Soil bulk density, when determined at standardized moisture conditions, is an estimate of soil compaction.

Soil consistency is the ability of soil materials to stick together.

Soil reactivity is expressed in terms of pH and is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil.

The World Reference Base for Soil Resources aims to establish an international reference base for soil classification.

Soil is used in agriculture, where it serves as the anchor and primary nutrient base for plants.

Soil material is a critical component in mining, construction and landscape development industries.

Soil resources are critical to the environment, as well as to food and fibre production, producing 98.

Soil provides minerals and water to plants according to several processes involved in plant nutrition.

Soil absorbs rainwater and releases it later, thus preventing floods and drought, flood regulation being one of the major ecosystem services provided by soil.

Soil acidification is accelerated by the use of acid-forming nitrogenous fertilizers and by the effects of acid precipitation.

Soil highlighted the importance of soil in the management of vineyards.

Soil's conclusion came from the fact that the increase in the plant's weight had apparently been produced only by the addition of water, with no reduction in the soil's weight.

Curtis F Marbut, influenced by the work of the Russian team, translated Glinka's publication into English, and, as he was placed in charge of the U S National Cooperative Soil Survey, applied it to a national soil classification system.