An ideal soil contains 25 percent air, 25 percent water, 45 percent mineral material and 5 percent organic matter. ... If a soil lacks any of these components, plant growth is limited.

The soil beneath our feet may look dull, but it is essential to all life on the planet. You might be amazed at what soil is made of and how it got there.

Organic matter in soil consists of both living and nonliving material. The living organic matter is made up of bacteria, fungi, and plant roots. Nonliving organic matter consists of plant ...

Salts are natural components of soil, surface, and groundwater. They are ionic mineral compounds, which means they bonded by electrostatic attractions between cations (+ charge) and anions (- charge).

The more we learn about soil, the more appreciation we have for it.We are blessed by the intricate relationship between the mineral, air, water and organic components of soil. Each part has a role ...

Given the diverse components of soil — minerals, organic matter, living organisms, gasses and water — scientists have struggled for decades to figure out the ecology and function of soil ...