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What is soil
made of?
Soil is made up of a mixture of
organic material and minerals. The organic matter comes from dead plants and
many of the minerals come from the rocks underground. These rocks, which are
part of the lithosphere, are referred to as bedrock. Because the plants grow on
top of the soil and the rocks are found underground, soil is made up of layers.
Different types of soil
The type of soil that forms in a region will depend upon the
climate, the bedrock underground, and the plants growing there. In deciduous
forests the soil may be deep, rich, and dark brown in colour. In sandy areas
the soil will be dry with a dusty grey colour. In tropical regions the soil is
often very deep and bright red.
Over to
You!
Think of all the leaves that fall
from the trees in a deciduous forest and think of all the years that
this happens.
Why is it that after hundreds,
even thousands, of years, the leaves do not pile up higher than the
treetops themselves?
Where do all
the leaves go? |
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© Paul Billiet, Shirley
Burchill, Alan Damon and Deborah James 2008 |
The
Open Door Web Site 
