Soil is the loose surface material that covers most land and is formed from the weathering of rocks. The action of the hot sun, the cold winds and rain break a rock into smaller pieces. When the pieces get really small they turn into soil.

Soil is the uppermost layer of the earth. It is formed due to weathering of rocks by various external factors such as air, water and wind. The soil also contains various living and dead substances of plants and animals called humus. The soil has a lot of nutrients that help in the growth of plants.

Soil is the upper layer of the earth's surface where plants grow. Soil is important for life on Earth. It consists of tiny grains of rock, minerals, water and air. Soil is the source of mineral nutrient and water for plants. Roots of the plants absorb nutrients from the soil.

Match the following: Column A Column B 1. Runoff i. Check soil erosion 2. Dead leaves ii. Silt 3. Slash and burn iii. Humus 4. Dams iv. Farming technique

1-ii Silt is the granular fine clay or sand which gets deposited in river bank, valleys due to runoff of water. 2-iii The dead leaves of plants decay and form a highly fertile top layer of soil called the humus. 3-iv Slash-and-burn agriculture is often used by tropical-forest root-crop farmers in various parts of the world. It involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field. 4-i Soil erosion is the removal of the uppermost layer of the soil. The dams hold the water and lower the rates of water flow in rivers thereby lowering the rate of soil erosion by water run-off. Column A Column B 1. Runoff ii. Silt 2. Dead leaves iii. Humus 3. Slash and burn iv. Farming technique 4. Dams i. Check soil erosion

Soil is formed due to the weathering of rocks by various factors such as air, water and wind. The formation of soil takes place over a million years. The river water cuts various rocks while flowing and brings them and deposits them on the banks. These tiny particles of rocks contribute to the formation of soil. Other various factors such as freezing and thawing and winds also contribute to the breakage of rocks, this helps in soil formation. The death of various animals and plants also contribute to the organic content of the soil and form the upper fertile layer of the soil called the humus.

Column A	Column B
1. Runoff	i. Check soil erosion
2. Dead leaves	ii. Silt
3. Slash and burn	iii. Humus
4. Dams	iv. Farming technique

How does land pollution affect the environment?

Important Questions on Soil

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