Soil is found on the upper most layer of the Earth. It is made up of a mixture of rock, minerals, plants, and some living/dead animals (mostly insects).

This nutrient-rich layer of soil extends downward a few feet. This is about how far the roots of plants grow. Soil is made up of all the nutrients needed by plants to live.

Some areas of the world like desert regions have very poor soil. Here, it is difficult for complex plant life to take hold. Tropical rainforests also have poor soil. Yes, the rainforest region gets enough rainfall to grow plants, but the poor soil found in rainforests is caused by so many living plants. These plants have the nutrients right inside themselves, so nutrients are not abundantly found in the soil.

For over a million years, the soil of the Earth has been developing. Weather has played an important role in shaping the soil. The top rocky layer of the Earth has been ground down into smaller and finer grains. Plants and animals (mostly insects) have helped to deposit nutrients.

An important part of the soil is the living part. Bacteria (a microscopic organism), algae (the lowest division of the plant kingdom), and fungi (any group of flowerless plants including mushrooms that lack chlorophyll and live on dead or decaying organic matter) are living parts of the soil.

They help more complex life forms live. The soil under our feet has a darker color than the dirt. This darker color is caused by the plants and animals (living and dead) that are found within it. Soil is formed from geology, climate, topography, biology, and by passing time.

• 1. Geology is the land.
• 2. Climate is the temperature and weather conditions.
• 3. Topography is the type of landform.
• 4. Biology deals with the living organisms and their life processes.
• 5. And, time is the period of an action.

Maybe the next time when you sit on the grass to have a picnic, get your shoes dirty or walk barefoot, you will be reminded of the importance that soil has on life in this world.