|
Martinsville, Ohio | Thanks, Clark, I will add these "soil facts" from Europe from a quick search:
Key facts You should know about Soil:
•Soil makes up the outermost layer of our planet and is formed from rocks and decaying plants and animals.
•Soil has varying amounts of organic matter (living and dead organisms), minerals, and nutrients.
•An average soil sample is 45 percent minerals, 25 percent water, 25 percent air, and five percent organic matter. Different-sized mineral particles, such as sand, silt, and clay, give soil its texture.
•Topsoil is the most productive soil layer.
•Ten tonnes of topsoil spread evenly over a hectare is only as thick as a one Euro coin.
•Natural processes can take more than 500 years to form 2 centimetres of topsoil.
•In some cases, 5 tonnes of animal life can live in one hectare of soil.
•Fungi and bacteria help break down organic matter in the soil.
•Earthworms digest organic matter, recycle nutrients, and make the surface soil richer.
•Roots loosen the soil, allowing oxygen to penetrate. This benefits animals living in the soil. They also hold soil together and help prevent erosion.
•A fully functioning soil reduces the risk of floods and protects underground water supplies by neutralising or filtering out potential pollutants and storing as much as 3750 tonnes of water per hectare.
•Soil scientists have identified over 10,000 different types of soil in Europe.
•Soil stores 10% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions.
And compare the types of soil there from our newer, glaciated soils in the states:
•Soil influences many areas of our lives. It is an integral part of our ecosystem. The composition of the soil in an area has a direct effect on the plant and animal life there.
•It takes more than 500 years to form 2 centimeters of topsoil.
•Ten tons of topsoil spread evenly over one hectare of land comes out to be as thick as one Euro coin.
•A fully functional soil holds 3750 tons of water per hectare, thus reducing the risk of floods. It holds pollutants to a certain extent. Soil stores around 10% of the emissions of carbon dioxide.
•Just one gram of soil contains 5000 to 7000 different species of bacteria. A spoonful of soil can hold a substantial amount of living beings.
•Scientists have found 10,000 types of soil in Europe and about 70,000 types of soil in the United States.
•75% of the earth's crust is composed of silica and oxygen.
•Soil is a non-renewable natural resource. This should make us think of how much we value this resource. Damage to the soil can disturb nature's balance and prove a threat to life.
It is in this soil that crops grow and we can obtain our food. Many of the antibiotics that stand as remedies for infections, were obtained from microorganisms in the soil. As a matter of fact, agriculture remains to be the only essential industry. Soil in its various forms plays a major role in our lives. In the words of the Greek philosopher, poet Xenophanes, "For all things come from earth, and all things end by becoming earth."
Ed | |
|
Interesting Ag Facts
