What is soil?

Soil is a porous medium with the combined effects of climaye and biotic activities. It consists of humus,
soil organisms, water, air, inorganic particles and plant particles.

1. Humus

Humus is dark brown or black in colour, it is organic material that is formed when plant and animal
matter decays. Humus can be used to fertilize the soil because it contains plenty of plant nutrients as well
as minerals. Humus helps to provide nutrients for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water.
Humus also privides houses for bacteria and other micro-organisms that are needed for plants to grow
healthy and strong. Aside from adding nutrients (being a fertilizer), it also loosens the texture of the soil
(a looser texture), which promotes soil granulation and maintanence of large pores through which water
can more easily penetrate, and oxygen can reach the plant's root system faster. Humus also increases the
ability of the soil to resist erosion.

2. Soil organisms

Soil organisms are responsible for most of the nutrient release from organic matter. Microorganisms
decompose organic matter, and use carbon and nutrients in the organic matter for their own growth. They
release nutrients into the soil where they can be taken up by the plants. Organisms present in soil are
archaea, bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae, protozoa, and a wide variety of larger soil fauna including
springtails, mites, nematodes, earthworms, ants, and insects that spend all or part of their life
underground, even larger organisms such as burrowing rodents. Microorganisms make up much less than
1% of the soil volume. Microorganisms are primary decomposers of raw organic matter. Up to ten billion
bacterial cells inhabit each gram of soil in and around plant roots, a region known as the rhizosphere.

3. Water
Water makes up approximately 2% to 50% of the soil volume. Water is important for transporting
nutrients and minerals to growing plants (by passing through the roots) and soil organisms and for
facilitating both biological and chemical decomposition. Water enters into the soil through large pores
(macropores) and is stored in many small pores (micropores). When water is added to soil, it can replace
the oxygen that is in the soil, and will make the soil darker (the wetter soil will have less oxygen
compared with drier soil). If there is too much water on the surface (saturated soil) the water will start to
form a layer on top of it.

4. Air

Air can occupy the same spaces as water, it can make up approximately 2% to 50% of the soil volume.
The presence of air in soil is essential for plants because roots of plants absorb oxygen from soil for the
growth of the plants. Soil aeration influences the availability of many nutrients and it is needed by many
of the microorganisms. There should be an appropriate balance between soil air and soil water, since soil
air is displaced by soil water. The air in soil is in constant exchange with the atmosphere. If the soil lacks
air, plants growing in it will eventually die. Oxygen is essential for microbe respiration, which helps to
support plant growth. Carbon dioxide and nitrogen are important for belowground plant functions such as
for nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

5. Inorganic particles

Inorganic matter is a type of matter which is not derived from living organisms and contains no
organically produced carbon. This portion of the soil forms with the weathering of rocks and includes
minerals (from mineral deposits) and metals. There are four groups of inorganic compound types. They
are the bases, acids, salts, and water. Water contains a variety of dissolved salts in solution originating
from rain or soil and rock with which they have been in contact. The minerals that are mostly present in
waters are Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium, Bicarbonate, Sulfate, Chloride, and Nitrate.
6. Plant particles

Plant particles found in soil like leaves, stems and twigs decompose to form humus. This material is also
called leaf litter. Dead plants have a high capacity to hold onto and/or provide essential elements and
water for plant growth. Soils that have lots of plant particles are the most productive for plant growth. It
enhances the growth potential of soil with poor water-holding capacity such as sandy soil. The percent of
decompsed organic matter in or in soils is used as an indicator of a productive and fertile soil. When this
debris gets mixed with the organic matter, it starts to create soil, and the type of rocks and the amount of
organic matter play crucial role in determining the type of the soil that'll form.