What is soil?

^{Look at the soil in the picture. What do you think it is made of?}

Much of the earth’s surface is covered with a loose material called soil. Soil is made up of broken down bits of rock, water, air and organic matter. Let us look at each of these.

• Rocks are broken down over long periods of time. They are broken down into smaller bits. Sometimes rocks are even broken down into forms which are very different from the original rock. These broken down bits of rock make up much of the soil. 
• Water often seeps into the soil and is held there. Some soils are better at holding water than others.
• Air can be found in tiny spaces in the soil.
• Organic matter refers to dead and decaying plant and animal matter. Organic matter is an important part of soil.

Types of soil

Not all soils are the same. There are many different types of soil. Different types of rock can be broken down to form different types of soil. Also, the ways in which rocks are broken down can form different types of soil. Different types of soil have different properties. Soils may be different colours or have different textures. We will look at three types of soil; sand, clay and loam.