MINERALS, ROCKS, AND SOIL
Splendid Soil
Soil is more than just dirt. Most plants
on Earth, including the food crops we eat,
grow in soil. It is home to billions of tiny
decomposers that break down and recycle
sand silt
dead plants and animals.
Soil is mainly composed of sand, silt,
and clay. It also contains humus—organic
matter such as decaying leaves. Mixed in
with these parts are air and water. Each clay loam
type of soil contains different amounts You can tell different soils apart by their color,
their texture, and how tightly packed they are.
of these ingredients.
Geologists classify the many types of Clay soil is made of tiny particles that
soil by the amount of sand, silt, and clay stick together. It holds a lot of water but
they contain. Because sandy soil has large not much air. Silt particles are much
particles, water easily flows through it. smaller than sand but larger than clay
Sandy soil is usually dry. particles. Silty soil is better for growing
plants because it holds some water but
COMPARING SIZES OF SOIL PARTICLES
still allows the plants’ roots to get air.
1 millimeter (0.04 in.) A balanced mixture of sand, silt,
and clay makes the best kind of soil for
coarse growing most plants. Loam is a soil made
sand
up of about 40 percent sand, 40 percent
silt, and 20 percent clay. It also contains
fine medium a lot of humus, which provides nutrients
clay silt sand sand
that help plants grow.
oW
hy is soil important?
Each U.S. state has a oW
hat is soil made of?
state soil, just like a oW
hat is the best kind of
state bird or flower! soil for growing plants?
Top left: Doug Tepper/© Learning A–Z; top right, bottom left: Casey Jones/© Learning A–Z; bottom right: © iStock/Mark Wragg
© Learning A–Z All rights reserved. [Link]
