Soil Basics (5020)

IMPORTANCE OF SOILS
The earth is covered by a thin layer of soil, composed of minerals, organic matter, and living organisms. Within this layer is a record of the area's geological and climactic history, as well as information about the suitability of future use of the soil. Soils affect many areas of our lives; we depend on the soil to grow our food and support the buildings we live and work in. Soils form an essential element in the ecosystem. Human activities that damage soils threaten to disrupt the delicate balance that sustains life. It is important to have a basic understanding of the formation and properties of soils to determine their future uses and to manage soils wisely.

DEVELOPMENT OF SOILS
Minerals are the primary component of soils. These minerals are from weathered rock, called parent material. The source of parent material is sometimes the bedrock directly below, and sometimes material transported far from the original bedrock and deposited by ice, water, wind, and gravity. Many soil properties are determined by the type of rock the parent material came from. For example, we have sandstone soils, shale soils, and limestone soils, coming from different parent material and possessing different characteristics.

Another component of soils is organic matter - decomposed parts of plants and animals, as well as millions of microscopic soil organisms that help break down minerals and organic residues. Air and water are also found in pores in the soil, tiny spaces between the soil particles.

For more information, please see this Penn State Fact Sheet

Penn State Horticulture Department

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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