Let's take an elevator ride from the surface to the bedrock below. We'll pass several distinct layers, or horizons , as we go. Together, these layers form the soil profile . A thick cover of plants can keep the soil cool and keep it from drying out. Decomposers recycle dead plants and animals into humus .
Plants grow and animals live on top of the soil.
This is sometimes called the organic layer. A thick cover of plants can keep the soil cool and keep it from drying out. Decomposers recycle dead plants and animals into humus. This is a mix of mineral particles and some humus near the top. Subsoil is very low in organic matter compared to the topsoil.