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Soil is a mixture of minerals and organic material that covers much of Earth’s surface. Minerals are bits of rock, and organic material is the remains of living things that have died. Soil is not as solid as rock. It has many small spaces, called pores, that hold water and air.
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- Sand
Sand is made up of small, loose pieces of rock, soil,...
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Kids learn about the Earth science subject of soil including how it is formed, properties, horizons, layers, topsoil, bedrock, and facts about soil.
What is Soil? Soils are complex mixtures of minerals, water, air, organic matter, and countless organisms that are the decaying remains of once-living things. It forms at the surface of land – it is the “skin of the earth.” Soil is capable of supporting plant life and is vital to life on earth.
As wind throws sand and soil at rock, the shape of the rock slowly changes. The huge masses of ice called glaciers also cause erosion. Glaciers scrape away parts of the rocks and the earth below as they creep down mountain valleys. They carry this material along with them.
For example, a forest community contains trees, plants, mammals, insects, earthworms, and many tiny living things, such as fungi and bacteria, in the soil. The members of a forest community rely on one another for survival.
Soil erosion is a continuous process that occurs either slowly or at an alarming rate. It results in a continuous loss of topsoil, ecological degradation, soil collapse, etc. Let us have a detailed look at the causes, effects and prevention of soil erosion.
Nov 8, 2024 · Soil is the biologically active and porous medium that has developed in the uppermost layer of Earth’s crust. It serves as the reservoir of water and nutrients and a medium for the filtration and breakdown of injurious wastes. It also helps in the cycling of carbon and other elements through the global ecosystem.
