Figure 9: Examples of Mollisols (grassland soils) formed from loess. Both soils have mean annual precipitation of 450 mm. The Ustoll (a) has an ustic soil moisture regime and the Xeroll (b) has a ...

Soils that formed on Earth’s surface thousands of years ago and that are now deeply buried features of vanished landscapes have been found to be rich in carbon, adding a new dimension to our planet’s ...

In certain trees, soils can form along branches and can support varied plant and animal life. However, what conditions these ‘canopy soils’ form in, and what kind of biodiversity they support, has ...

Topsoil is one of the haziest terms used by gardeners, and by those who sell the stuff. After all, it’s nothing more than the top layer of soil. But real topsoil also is the most fertile portion of ...

In the 1930s, the ability of green plants to form oxygen through oxidation of water -- photosynthesis -- was discovered. Since then, no other large-scale biological formation of oxygen has been found, ...

The dirt beneath our feet often goes unnoticed but it’s key to sustaining all life on Earth. A third of the world’s soil is moderately to highly degraded, threatening global food supplies, increasing ...