To some, soil is debris that covers valuable deposits of ore, gravel, gypsum or coal. To others, it is a building material. Still others think of soil as any substance which supports plant growth. These are all valid concepts. Soils are natural, three-dimensional bodies consisting of mineral material, organic matter, water, air and living organisms. The characteristics of an individual soil are the result of soil-forming factors (parent material, climate, topography and organisms) interacting over time.

Most of the soil parent material in Nova Scotia is glacial till, closely related to the underlying bedrock.

This Document Includes:

Parent Material
Glacial Till
Glaciolacustrine and Glaciofluvial Deposits
Marine Deposits
Climate
Topography
Organisms
Time

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Additional Keywords:
earthworms, podzolization, leaching, organic matter, pH.

Associated Topics:

T2.1-6 Geology
T3.1-4 Landscape Development
T4.1 Post-glacial Climatic Change
T5 Climate
T9.3 Biological Environment
T10.1-12 Plants
T11.16 Land and Freshwater Invertebrates
T12.9 Soil and Resources

Associated Habitats:

H2.5 Tidal Marsh
H2.6 Dune System
H3.3 Bottom Lotic (Rivers and Streams)
H3.4 Bottom Lentic (Lakes and Ponds)
H3.5 Water's Edge Lotic (Rivers and Streams)
H3.6 Water's Edge Lentic (Lakes and Ponds)
H4 Freshwater Wetlands
H5 Terrestrial Unforested
H6 Forests