Is Soil a Nonrenewable or
Renewable?
By Ben Pham
It’s nonrenewable
because soil contains
tiny pieces of rock.
Rocks break down
(weather) and erodes
away naturally, but it
takes a really long time
to break it into very tiny
pieces. It take more
than a life time for rock
to erode. So if you
want soil you can’t
always have it
immediately.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Did you know soil is also
renewable?
Soil is also made up of compost. Compost
is dirt mixed with broken down material.
This is a natural process that is used to
renew soil. For example, fruits and
vegetables can be broken down into
compost. The nutrients make the soil
much richer for growing plants. Compost
can be made in small amounts or large
amounts. It takes anywhere from 14 days
up to one year to make compost
depending on the size of the compost pile.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Soil is both a nonrenewable and
renewable resource. It is
nonrenewable because the rocks
that make up the soil take a long
time to erode. Soil is renewable
because compost can be quickly
made and used again as part of
the soil.