The wonderful world of soil!

What is soil? Definition: a mixture of minerals , organic matter, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life on earth

So what’s Dirt? Dirt is soil in a place you don’t want it We LOVE getting our hands in the soil, so we won’t use the term “dirt”

How much soil is there? 3/4 of the earth is water, which leaves only 1/4 of dry land Half of the dry land is too dry, too icy, or too mountainous for people to inhabit, leaving 1/8 Of that 1/8, some is too wet, some is too rocky, and some is too hot to farm in, leaving only 1/32 left Only about 3% of our earth is arable land!

What’s good about soil? Literally all plants grow in it, including the ones we eat! Soils hold and process recycled nutrients for organisms They also retain and clean our water Depending on type, they can act as a CO2 sink (like the mud in the slough!)

Soils are a link between the atmosphere and biosphere! What happens when soils and water meet?...

Learning Activity: Just Passing Through