Book 1, Question 63
Why Does Soil Matter? The Ground Is Full of Life!
Soil is more than dirt! It starts with broken rock crumbs mixed with air, water and tiny living things. Soil holds water and nutrients so plant roots can soak them up and grow strong, and the page says it should be treated like living skin. Its layers, from leaf litter to topsoil, subsoil and rock, are shown up close. It can take centuries to build just a few centimeters of topsoil. Look closely at a soil sample and note the colors, textures and tiny things you see.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 1
More fun facts
- Soil is a mix of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and living things.
- It can take about 100 years to make just one inch of topsoil.
- Soil forms very slowly, but it can be lost quickly through erosion, pollution, or poor care of the land.
- Soil sits where the rocky parts of Earth meet the living parts.
- Your yard can have a different soil type than your neighbor's, depending on plants, shade, rocks, and slope.
- Soil that has clear layers, called soil horizons, shows that a place has been stable for a long time.
- NASA uses satellites, like the Soil Moisture Active Passive mission, to measure how wet soil is from space.
Sources: NOAA, NASA Science
Questions kids ask
How long does it take to make soil?
It can take about 100 years to form one inch of topsoil.
Is soil just dirt?
No. Soil is a living mix of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and many living things.