What are the layers of soil?
First you find topsoil. This is the ground layer we walk upon, commonly referred to as ‘dirt’. It is nutrient rich due to the decaying plant and animal matter, called ‘humus’, within. Beneath the topsoil we find the lighter colored subsoil. Subsoil is the middle layer that contains large rocks alongside minerals washed out of the topsoil. Within the subsoil area there is a layer called substratum, this is the deepest layer where rocks weather to form new subsoil. Beneath the substratum is the solid, hard bedrock, untouched by weather, plant or animal. Take a soil quiz – How much do you know about soil?
