Soil micro-organisms control the concentration of organic matter in the soil. Thus, fertile soils are full of soil humus and micro-organisms.
Climate is the strongest factor that controls the development of soils, as temperature and precipitation influence factors such as weathering rates, organic matter decomposition, and vegetation growth, which in turn shape the characteristics of soils.
Nutrient unavailability, soil pathogens, and weed seeds are problems when using organic matter in soils. Too high an amount of organic matter can increase phosphorus concentrations to polluting levels. Ratios in excess of 30 to 1 for carbon and nitrogen make soils and soil food web members, such as plant roots, deficient in nitrogen.
Soils with high organic matter content such as forest soils or grassland soils tend to have the most humus. Humus is formed from the decomposition of plant and animal material, and soils with abundant organic matter support healthy plant growth and microbial activity.
Soils get their organic material from the plants that live, or have lived, in them. Deserts have few plants to provide this material.
There are few plants in the desert to provide the organic material.
Desert soils are low in organic matter because the arid conditions limit the decomposition of plant material that would contribute to organic content. The low moisture levels also hinder the growth of vegetation that could add to the organic matter in the soil.
It's Loam a perfect mixture of clay, silt, sand, and organic matter.
Forest soils tend to be rich in organic matter, have higher acidity, and more microbial activity due to the decomposition of leaf litter and organic debris from trees. Prairie soils, on the other hand, are often characterized by a thicker topsoil layer, higher pH levels, and lower organic matter content, as grasses do not contribute as much organic material as trees.
Loamy soils and soils with lots of organic matter are the type of soils that are primarily used by farmers who need to plant crops.
Leaving aside the obvious (wet soil looks darker), the amount of organic matter or humus in a soil controls how dark the soil is. Generally the darker a soil is, the "richer" it is considered to be.
Alfisols: These are moderately weathered soils with good fertility and a clay-rich subsoil. Mollisols: These are fertile, dark-colored soils known for their high organic matter content, originated from grassland areas. Aridisols: These are dry soils found in arid and semi-arid regions, characterized by low organic matter and distinct layers due to limited leaching. Spodosols: These are acidic soils commonly found in forested areas, characterized by distinct horizons with accumulation of organic matter and iron/aluminum oxides.
rich, well aired, lots of organic matter, 5.5-7 pH