What is Soil?

  • Soil is a combination of weathered rock, or parent material, and decomposed organic matter. It can also include minerals.
  • Organic matter is matter composed of organic compounds, mainly the remains of dead plants, animals and their waste.
  • The parent material goes through thousands of years of weathering and erosion.
  • The amount of weathering and the types of parent material being mixed into the soil determine the soil texture.