9-12, Earth Science, Biology, and Ecology by Laurie St.
All life ultimately depends on the thin layer of soil covering the earth's surface.
Soil originates from the weathering and erosion of rock and the decomposition of dead organisms. It is composed of abiotic, nonliving components, like minerals and biotic, living components, like bacteria and insects. The type of soil in a region is also related to the climatic conditions such as temperature and average rainfall. A region characterized by climate and the type of vegetation which can grow there is called a biome.