The Dirt Merchants
"Below that thin layer comprising the delicate organism known as the soil is a planet as lifeless as the moon."
- G.Y. Jacks & R.O. Whyte
Background

Most people commonly refer to soil as dirt.  Dirt is something that you want to keep off your body or out of your house.  Soil, however, is an invaluable resource upon which all life depends.  Without soil plants could not grow.  Plants, also called autotrophs (self feeders), take the sun's radiant energy, water, and nutrients from the soil and convert it into useful products such as oxygen for cellular respiration, and food for energy.  Soil provides us with wood for building materials and filters and removes impurities from water.

Also known as "Black Gold", soil may take as long as 100 000 years to create a layer 1 millimeter thick.  The process of breaking rocks apart or removing minerals from them to form soil is called weathering.  When this process is completed, soil consists of a complex mixture of mineral matter, organic matter, and air pockets.  These three characteristics are collectively known as soil composition.

Soil texture is how the soil feels.  Soil textures are produced by the combination of sand, silt, and clay in varying proportions.  Loam is a term used to describe soils which are made of a mixture of sand, silt, and clay.

Today  the population of the earth is growing at an alarming rate and soil will be needed to supply food, fuel, and building materials in the next century.  The problem, however, is that soil is taken for granted.  According to the UN Environmental program about 35% of the earth can be classified as a desert.  Desertification is the conversion of productive soil to desert like conditions over a period of time due to nutrient depletion and the action of flowing wind and water known as erosion.

* Soil is a renewable resource, only if we use it wisely*