Soil

What is in the ground under your feet?

What is soil?

Soil covers much of the land. It is made of tiny bits of rock, water and air. It also has humus from dead leaves.

As earthworms tunnel, they let air and water into the soil. This helps roots to grow.

Worms, beetles and tiny living things live in soil. They help dead leaves decay. This puts food back into the soil for plants.

Fungi and tiny living things called bacteria also help dead plants to rot away.

Sand is gritty. Water drains through it quickly. Clay soil is sticky. It holds lots of water. Good garden soil is dark and crumbly.

Water drains quickly through sand, so sandy soil dries out fast.

Our big rivers carry fine silt. Floods leave the silt on the fields. This rich soil helps farmers grow rice and jute.

Most of Bangladesh is made of soil carried by the Padma, Jamuna and Meghna rivers.