Under Your Feet

4

WHY DO WE

NEED SOIL?

We often brush soil off

newly bought mushrooms and

vegetables. These are some of

the foods that use the nutrients

and water stored in soil to grow.

Soil has lots of other important

jobs, too, from holding up

houses to cleaning water.

Getting rid

of waste

Living things in soil

eat organic waste and

release it as nutrients

into the soil, which

help plants grow.

Filtering water

Soil is the largest water filter on Earth. As

water flows downwards through the soil, small

pores (openings) trap murky bits in the water.

Soil also takes in some harmful substances

that have made it into the water.

Without soil to

absorb it, rain

can cause floods.

Soil

abso

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