ABSTRACT
Soil is composed of clay, air, water, sand, loam, and organic detritus of former life forms. Soil possesses the incomparable ability and capacity to assimilate great quantities of organic wastes, turn them into beneficial organic matter (humus), and then convert the nutrients in the wastes to forms that can be utilized by plants and animals. As a plant growth medium, soil provides vital resources and performs essential functions for the plant. Thus, one of the vital functions of soil is to regulate the water supply to plants. In addition to providing valuable minerals for various purposes, soil is commonly used to provide materials for road building and dam construction. From the soil pollution technologist's point of view, five major physical properties of soil are of interest: soil texture, slope, structure, organic matter, and color. The final stages of soil formation consist of the processes of morphogenesis, or the production of a distinctive soil profile with its constituent layers or horizons.
