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Topsoil is composed of mineral particles and organic matter and usually extends to a depth of 5-10 inches (13–25 cm). Together these make a substrate capable of holding water and air which encourages biological activity. There are generally a high concentration of roots in topsoil since this is where plants obtain most of their vital nutrients.
Dark soil color imparted by organic matter in Illinois, US. Dark brown or black colors typically indicate that the soil has a high organic matter content. [4] Organic matter coats mineral soil particles, which masks or darkens the natural mineral colors. [1] Sodium content also influences the depth of organic matter and therefore the soil color.
Humus has a characteristic black or dark brown color and is an accumulation of organic carbon. Besides the three major soil horizons of (A) surface/topsoil, (B) subsoil, and (C) substratum, some soils have an organic horizon (O) on the very surface. Hard bedrock (R) is not in a strict sense soil.
Chernozem (/ ˈ tʃ ɜːr n ə z ɛ m / CHUR-nə-zem), [a] also called black soil, regur soil or black cotton soil, is a black-colored soil containing a high percentage of humus [3] (4% to 16%) and high percentages of phosphorus and ammonia compounds. [4] Chernozem is very fertile soil and can produce high agricultural yields with its high ...
Water is a critical agent in soil development due to its involvement in the dissolution, precipitation, erosion, transport, and deposition of the materials of which a soil is composed. [39] The mixture of water and dissolved or suspended materials that occupy the soil pore space is called the soil solution. Since soil water is never pure water ...
Soil organic matter (SOM) is the organic matter component of soil, consisting of plant and animal detritus at various stages of decomposition, cells and tissues of soil microbes, and substances that soil microbes synthesize.
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As a result, the clay disperses and settles into voids between peds, causing those to close. In this way the open structure of the soil is destroyed and the soil is made impenetrable to air and water. [41] Such sodic soil (also called haline soil) tends to form columnar peds near the surface. [42]