A farmer examines the soil of a new plot of land he just purchased. He notices that the soil is very dark, almost black in color. The soil is filled with organic material. Based on his experience, the farmer knows this soil has a high fertility.

Which material gives the soil its high fertility?

bedrock

sand

silt

humus

the answer is humus

The correct answer is - humus.

The humus is the result of the decomposition of the biomass, the more biomass there, the bigger the humus layer will be. It has a distinct dark coloration, varying from dark brown to almost black, and this is the part of the soil that is by far the most fertile. So in this case, since the farmer noticed dark colored soil that is filled with organic material, it is a sign that the soil has a nice deep humus layer that will bring him high productivity.

humus