Surface consisting of a mixture of decomposed matter What is Soil? The part of the earth's Surface consisting of a mixture of decomposed matter and broken down rock.

Let’s take a look at this top layer. We call it top soil!

Top Soil The rich organic layer of dirt from which plants get the nutrients they need.

Lets take a look at the 3 main What is topsoil made of? Lets take a look at the 3 main components. Sand Silt and Clay

This type has the biggest particles It is granular and consists of rock and mineral particles that are small. Notice the color of sand in this picture Sand

Silty soil is considered to be one of the most fertile of soils. Very Small particle size Silt Silt Notice the color of silt in this picture Fine Grained

Clay is generally considered to be smaller grained than silt. Clay is relatively impermeable to water. Particles of clay are dense. Clay Tightly packed together Very Fine Grained

Good farming soil is generally a combination of all 3 types of soil.

Top soil generally accounts for the top 2 to 3 feet of soil on Earth! Consider the Following: Top soil generally accounts for the top 2 to 3 feet of soil on Earth! So, what percentage of land do we depend on for the world’s food supply? 75%

That means that top soil has a huge responsibility. We’ve got to make sure we take care of it!

The Dirt Song