Title: Describe soil fertility and the role of soil in ecosystems.
Course: Ecology and Environmental Management (18003-36) > Section: Protecting the Environment – Soil

Description should include

- a definition of soil
- its components

- minerals (parent material)
- organic matter
- pore space
- air
- water

- its role in

- water filtration
- providing nutrients for plant life
- regulation of temperature
- carbon sequestration
- habitat for organisms (e.g., worms, mycorrhizal fungi).

Process/Skill Questions:

- How many years does it take for one inch of soil to form? What factors influence this process?
- What is the role of weathering on rocks and minerals in the soil-formation process?
- How much of the soil is composed of air, of water, and of minerals?
- What is the composition of organic matter in soil?
- How are the physical and chemical properties of soil related to its fertility?