4

Soil?
WHAT
IS
Hi,
my name is Soily and
I am the Soil Doctor’s
assistant. I’m here to tell
you a little bit about
soil.

ORGANIC
MATTER 5% the 5
The factors of soil
average SOIL is
ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT

formation are: Climate,

IS HIGHLY VARIABLE, BUT

composed of water,
MOST SOILS CONTAIN

Organisms, Topography,
BETWEEN 2 AND 10%

air, and a hint OF Parent Material and

organic matter Time! 1000 years 1 cm of soil

500 0,5

Usually, Soil
AIR Organic Matter (SOM) is
much more abundant in surface
0 0

25%
soil (TOPSOIL) than further below
ground (SUBSOIL). This makes
MINERAL T IME
topsoil more fertile
PARTICLES
45%
WATER
ATE
25% C L IM

MINERALS SOM

O GY
BIOL

TO P O G
RAPHY
TOPSOIL
CARBON ROC
K
SEQUESTRATION WATER
PURIFICATION:
ABSORPTION AND
SUBSOIL
RETENTION OF
POLLUTANTS
CO2

FLOOD MINERALS SOM

REGULATION

C UNSAFE

SAFE

NUTRIENT
CYCLING

GHGs
CO2
CH4 N2O

So
we need to take
good care of SOIL,
S P Ca N
K Zn

CLIMATE especially since it is

vulnerable to degradation
CULTURAL
HERITAGE REGULATION

and can disappear in

PROVISION OF HABITAT FOR
CONSTRUCTION ORGANISMS

seconds…
MATERIALS

Although often SOURCE OF

undervalued, soil
PHARMACEUTICALS
AND GENETIC

is actually critical
RESOURCES

for life
FOUNDATION
FOR HUMAN
CA2214EN/1/12.19

INFRASTRUCTURE
© FAO, 2019

Thanks to the financial support of

PROVISION
OF FOOD,
FIBRE AND
FUEL