How Is Soil Formed?

Universe

There are four basic "ingredients" that go into the "recipe" for making soil: tiny pieces of rock, decayed plants and animals, water, and air.

When small pieces of rock break off larger ones, they form the basis of all soil. This breaking can occur in several ways: through the action of glaciers pushing rocks along the ground and grinding them against other rocks; through the action of chemicals in water eating away at rocks; through changes in temperature causing water to freeze in rocks and crack them open; through the force of wind throwing sand and pebbles against rocks; and through the movement of plant roots splitting rocks apart. This rocky, ground-up material is called the parent material of the soil.

When a plant or animal dies, its remains are attacked by bacteria which decompose, or break them down. This decaying matter combines with the parent material and provides the soil with many nutrients to help new plants grow.

Water and air fill in the spaces between the ground-up rock and decaying matter to provide places for tiny insects to live and for plant roots to grow.

Comments

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thxx soooo much =]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2009/05/05 - 3:11pm.

ohh and this is PERRFECT it was just what i needed!lol thxx

=]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2009/05/05 - 3:09pm.

my teachers made up this song WAIO so that we can remember all the ingridients in soil...WAIO stands 4 Water, Ail, Inorganic material, and Organic material... like theres more lyrics to it tho...but its just a helpful suggustion 4 when u take the science MCAS u will remember all of the " ingridients " in soil

iNNgredientts ?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2009/04/24 - 10:19am.

Woow, ii Nevvr Knnew Sooliiil Haad Ingreddiientss lol
Learnn Sumthiinng Nuu Evrri Dai ;)

thanx

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2009/01/28 - 7:47am.

this is just wht i needed

Soil

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2009/01/11 - 11:37pm.

how can there be a recipe for soil?....i think that soil should be natural from the ground. No should be able to make soil. If you mix banana peals with the soil then your plants will grow really healthy and beautiful. So everything in the environment should be natural for all of us. The soil should help the world. Peoplr shouldn't destroy what the earth has made for us. People should treat the soil as if it were a human because soil grows too. Respect the soil like how you would respect a regular person.

sincerly,
Anonymous