Soil may look simple; however, it is an extremely complex system. It is most often described by its physical, chemical and biological properties and processes. Soil is organic or inorganic; inert or active; living or non-living. Soil contains many organisms: bacteria, nematodes, fungi, earthworms, and small animals. From a physical perspective the soil constitutes the building blocks upon which we walk, construct buildings, grow crops and filter natural and manmade compounds. Soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties and processes interact to enhance its value as a natural resource.

[This lesson, as well as the other nine lessons in the Soils series, is taken from the "Soils Home Study Course," published in 1999 by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension.]

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