All About Soil
All About Soil
All About Soil
soil is the loose material that covers the Earth's surface in most parts of the world land is
covered by soil you can think of soil as the living skin of the earth it gives plants the nutrients
they need to grow and plants give people and animals food to live soil also provides building
materials homes for animals and things we use every day soil is not just dirt it is an important
natural resource that provides the foundation for life on Earth
what is soil ?
soil is made of rocks decayed plants and animals air and water let's first look at rocks through a
process called weathering big rocks break down into smaller and smaller pieces eventually
becoming part of soil soil does not form in a day it can take hundreds of years wind water an
extreme hot and cold temperatures cause rocks to break down over time the pieces of rock are
transported from one place to another through erosion but wait soil is not just tiny rocks it is
also made up of decayed plants and animals called houmous houmous is made from things that
were once alive like leaves that fall from a tree the dead leaves decay or break down and
become part of the soil giving it nutrients houmous is a dark color and is found on the ground
surface there are three layers of soil the top soil is the top layer where plants grow and it is only
a few inches thick houmous is part of the top soil the middle layer is the subsoil and it is a
combination of soil and rocks bedrock is the bottom layer that is made up of many layers of
rock
how soil looks and feels tells us about its properties is it good for growing plants how much air
and water does it hold to answer these questions let's start with soil types there are three types
of soil sand silt and clay soil comes from tiny pieces of weathered rock the difference between
soil types is the size of the rock particles sand has the largest particles it feels rough and gritty
sandy soil has air spaces between the grains of sand the air space lets water drain through sand
quickly a sandcastle washes away in the tide because sand does not hold on to a lot of water silt
has medium sized particles it feels smooth when wet silt particles hold on to more water than
sand a bird's footprint sticks to silty soil because silt does not drain as much water clay has the
smallest particles it feels sticky when wet and hard when dry the small rock particles packed
tightly together holding the most water but there is little space for air the water helps clay keep
its shape so it is used to make pottery what is the best type of soil for growing plants sand does
not hold enough water for most plants to grow clay holds water but does not contain the air that
plants need the best soil for growing plants is called loam and it is a mixture of sand silt clay
and houmous houmous is made of decaying plants and animals it adds nutrients to soil and
gives it a darker color the combination of soil and houmous makes loam the best soil for
growing plants because it has the perfect amount of air water and nutrients
soil and plants
plants get the food and water they need to grow from soil plants absorb food called nutrients
from their roots besides providing food and water soil helps plants stand tall by holding their
roots in place when roots take hold in the ground they keep soil from washing away for
example tree roots prevent soil erosion by reaching deep and holding soil together farmers want
to plant their crops in the best soil with the most nutrients to prepare soil for planting seeds a
farmer uses a tractor to till the soil tilling mixes up the topsoil so the nutrients are near the
surface crops grow in different types of soil rice grows in soil with clay that holds a lot of water
pineapple grows in sandy soil and carrots grow best in a mixture of soils top soil where plants
grow is a precious natural resource because it takes a long time for rocks to become soil farmers
try to conserve the topsoil by rotating the kinds of crops they plant and by controlling irrigation
so soil doesn't wash away when crops are harvested the farmer lets the plants left behind decay
and become part of the soil again giving back nutrients
worms spend their lives eating soil they feed on decaying plants and leaves within the soil and
this behavior helps make soil healthy let's look at an earthworm under a microscope a worm
does not have eyes legs or teeth but it does have strong mouth muscles to swallow tiny bits of
soil worms move forward and back eating what's in front of them the soil passes through the
worms digestive system and comes out the other end as waste called castings these are worm
castings and they are rich in nutrients for plants worms help soil in other ways after it rains
worms crawl deep underground creating tunnels worm tunnels are important because they mix
up the soil allowing air and water to get inside to help plants grow since worms are so helpful
farmers raise worms just like other animals this is a worm farm where millions of wriggling
earthworms are raised and then sold to other farmers to keep their soil healthy
people and animals rely on soil to grow plants for food but soil has other uses as well this
animal is a mole moles live underground digging tunnels to look for worms and insects in the
soil many animals such as the Kitfox the burrowing owl and the tiger salamander live in
burrows beneath the ground around the world there are people who make their homes out of
soil wet soil made of sand and clay is poured into rectangular molds the mud bricks also known
as adobe bricks are stacked on top of each other to create the walls of a building here are
examples of buildings made of soil bricks clay soil can be used to make pottery a lump of clay
is molded by hand into cups bowls and vases people in some cultures use the natural colors in
soil to paint their faces and bodies this allows people to express themselves and the traditions of
their community soil is also used in medicine a bacteria naturally found in soil is used to make
antibiotics that treat infections
soil review
soil is not just dirt it is an important natural resource that provides the foundation for life on
Earth soil is made of rocks decayed plants and animals air and water soil comes from weathered
rock that is broken down and moved through erosion there are three levels of soil topsoil
subsoil and bedrock houmous gives soil nutrients and is part of the topsoil soil looks and feels
different depending on its properties there are three types of soil sand silt and clay sand has the
largest rock particles and feels gritty silt has medium sized particles and feels smooth clay has
the smallest particles and feels sticky loam is a mixture of sand silt clay and houmous and is the
best soil for growing plants farmers grow plants and topsoil soil holds roots in place and roots
help with soil erosion worms make nutrient-rich castings they also create tunnels that allow air
and water to reach below the surface soil is used in many ways including making homes for
animals and people you
Semua tentang tanah
tanah adalah bahan lepas yang menutupi permukaan bumi di sebagian besar belahan dunia
Tanah tertutup oleh tanah Anda dapat menganggap tanah sebagai kulit bumi yang hidup, tanah
memberi tanaman nutrisi yang mereka butuhkan untuk tumbuh dan tanaman memberi manusia
dan hewan makanan untuk tanah hidup juga menyediakan bahan bangunan rumah bagi hewan
dan benda-benda yang kita gunakan setiap hari. Tanah bukan hanya kotoran tetapi juga
merupakan sumber daya alam penting yang memberikan landasan bagi kehidupan di Bumi.
cacing menghabiskan hidup mereka makan tanah mereka memakan tanaman yang membusuk
dan daun di dalam tanah dan perilaku ini membantu membuat tanah sehat Mari kita lihat cacing
tanah di bawah mikroskop cacing tidak memiliki mata kaki atau gigi tetapi memiliki otot mulut
yang kuat untuk menelan kecil Potongan cacing tanah bergerak maju dan mundur memakan apa
yang ada di depannya Tanah melewati sistem pencernaan cacing dan keluar dari ujung lainnya
sebagai limbah yang disebut coran ini adalah coran cacing dan kaya akan nutrisi untuk tanaman
cacing membantu tanah dengan cara lain setelah hujan cacing merangkak jauh di bawah tanah
membuat terowongan terowongan cacing penting karena mereka mencampur tanah sehingga
memungkinkan udara dan air masuk ke dalam untuk membantu tanaman tumbuh karena cacing
sangat membantu petani membesarkan cacing seperti hewan lain ini adalah peternakan cacing
di mana jutaan cacing tanah yang menggeliat dibesarkan dan kemudian dijual ke petani lain
untuk menjaga kesehatan tanahnya
tinjauan tanah
tanah bukan hanya tanah itu adalah sumber daya alam penting yang memberikan landasan bagi
kehidupan di bumi tanah terbuat dari batuan membusuk tumbuhan dan hewan udara dan air
tanah berasal dari batuan lapuk yang rusak dan digerakkan melalui erosi ada tiga tingkat tanah
lapisan atas tanah subsoil dan batuan dasar houmous memberikan unsur hara tanah dan
merupakan bagian dari tanah lapisan atas terlihat dan terasa berbeda tergantung dari sifat-
sifatnya tanah pasir lanau dan pasir lempung memiliki partikel batuan terbesar dan terasa
berpasir lanau memiliki partikel berukuran sedang dan terasa halus tanah liat memiliki partikel
terkecil dan terasa lengket lempung adalah campuran dari pasir lanau tanah liat dan houmous
dan merupakan tanah terbaik untuk menanam tanaman petani menanam tanaman dan tanah
lapisan atas memegang akar di tempatnya dan akar membantu dengan erosi tanah cacing
membuat coran kaya nutrisi mereka juga membuat terowongan yang memungkinkan udara dan
air mencapai di bawah permukaan tanah digunakan dalam banyak hal termasuk membuat
rumah untuk hewan dan manusia.