Is soil living or non-living?

Question

is it biotic or abiotic

Answer 1

It is Abiotic. When you think of life form there are distinct characteristics. Everything alive can reproduce, excrete, synthesize, digest/consume, etc.

After viewing these characteristics it allows you to easier realize why soil is not living.

Answer 2

non living (abiotic)

Answer 3

Most of soil is abiotic, but some of it (about 3%) is biotic.

Answer 4

I am afraid the previous answers are not quite correct.  Soil is a system composed of mineral and organic matter (the "average" soil is 45% mineral, 5% organic matter, 25% atmosphere and 25% water).

The movement of air and water in and through the soil affects weathering of the soil, growth of plants and activity of life within the soil.  Thus you can see how the mere action of a warm day, a windy morning or an evening thunderstorm can and does change things within this system.

Within it lives a vast array of micro and macro organism, both living and dead.  These organisms are both plant and animal and somethings we can't classify.  These organisms constantly change the level and availabilty of multiple nutrients in the soil.  This in turn affects the growth of plants, which affects the food and oxygen supply for animals which affects the nutrient cycle for plants.... and the circles go on and on.

Soil is constantly changing, inherently dynamic and it is the one resource we can destroy much faster than can be produced.  Since the material in the system we call soil reproduces and respires, and these organisms affect the weathering of the mineral matter which affects the reproduction and respiration then soil must be considered very much.... Alive!

Answer 5

non-living

Answer 6

It has traces of biotic components (aka organic compounds). But mostly abiotic.

Answer my question now (its similar):

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 7

The soil is not living is abiotic.

Answer 8

Yeah but dude, the question is abiotic or biotic. Soil is abiotic.