Earth provides resources we need to live. Soil is one of Earth’s most precious resources. A resource is an important material from the Earth that living things need. Earth wouldn’t be Earth without soil. We are completely dependent on it! Without it we wouldn’t have life on Earth. Soil covers a large part of Earth’s surface. Soil is a mixture of broken down rock, water, gases, tiny living creatures, and decaying plants and animals. Soil develops over a long periods of time through changes in the Earth. As time passes soil forms layers.

The top layer is an organic layer where plants grow and animals live. Under the organic layer is the top soil. Top soil includes rock particles mixed with decaying plants and animals called humus. Most of what plants need to grow is in this layer. Under topsoil is subsoil. It doesn’t have as much humus as topsoil and is often lighter in color. Subsoil includes pieces of broken rocks. Sometimes tree roots grow into the subsoil. Water from rain and snow may be in this layer. Parent material is found under the subsoil above the final layer of bedrock. Parent material is the broken down pieces of bedrock. This is the raw material for making new soil. Bedrock is the bottom layer.

Now that you know what’s in soil let’s talk about the many important things this valuable resource gives us. Soil gives us the planet’s food. It also provides plant and animal fiber we use every day from cotton, construction material to leather.

One active job of soil is called decomposition. This is the breaking down of waste and things that have died. Decomposition happens because of the work of millions of tiny living things in the soil. These tiny living things are too small for us to see. They have their own tiny food web to help soil with its other important tasks.

Soil filters and holds water in place, recycles nutrients, and keeps the world going. It’s fun to play in the dirt. People like pottery which is made from clay, a type of soil. Sometimes humans make it hard for soil to do its jobs. Farmers can do too much plowing. People hurt the soil by dumping garbage. If humans don’t take care of soil, it won’t be able to take care of us.

Soil is an amazing living blanket over the Earth. It is the center of life on Earth.