Did you know?
- • It takes more than 500 years to form two centimeters of topsoil.
- • Just one shovel full of soil has more living things in it than all
the humans ever born.
- • Quicksand is found in places where there is water underneath
sand.
- • A scientist who studies soil is called a pedologist.
- • Weather helps to make soil. Heat and cold makes rocks expand or contract, which breaks rocks up into small bits that eventually turn into soil.
Since parents sometimes tell kids to stay out of the dirt, we might think soil is bad. While it is important to stay clean and healthy, without soil there would be no life on Earth.
Weather conditions like heat, cold, rain, and snow break down bugs, rocks, and pieces of trees to make soil. When we’re playing outside, we only see one layer of soil on the ground, but there are actually FOUR LAYERS OF SOIL. Even though most of the soil we see on the ground is brown, it comes in other colors like red, white, and even yellow.
Soil around our homes can get polluted by fluids from leaky vehicles, pet waste, pesticides, or leftover household chemicals that are poured or spilled. When the soil is contaminated, storm water can move the pollutants along into washes and the wastewater system, causing problems in the environment and at wastewater management facilities.
Why do we need soil?
- • Cacti, trees, bushes and flowers all need soil to grow.
- • Without soil we wouldn’t be able to eat our
favorite foods and giraffes, elephants, birds and mice
wouldn’t either.
• Soil is sometimes used to build structures, like rammed earth and adobe homes. - • Soil holds up buildings like houses, schools, community centers, and work places.
- • Farmers need healthy soil to grow crops and feed people.
The Story of Soil
Soils are complex mixtures of minerals, water, air, and organic matter (both dead and alive), forming at the surface of land. Soil is awesome! Soil lets plants grow, allows gas exchanges to happen between the land and air, provides habitat for most of the organisms on Earth, holds and cleans water, recycles nutrients, and is used for constructing structures like buildings and roadbeds.
Find out more about the Story of Soil from these videos by the Soil Science Society of America.
Soil and Human Health | Soil and Food Security | Soil and Water Quality |
How can you help take care of our soil?
- • Start composting. This puts nutrients back into the soil and makes it healthier.
- • Buy organic fruits and vegetables from farmers who minimize their use use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides on the soil.
- • Make an organic garden in your backyard and grow your own food.
- • Make sure you keep the soil healthy by not pouring leftover or used chemicals or oils on it.
- • Help your parents do yard work by pulling up weeds. This reduces the need to use harmful chemicals on the plants.
Now that you know more about how soil is made and all of the important things we use it for, can you think of how the circle of life helps makes new soil? Can you think of how things that live and eventually die, break down and contribute to new life? How do plants and creatures like mice and birds play a part in making new soil?