EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays. When plants drop leaves, twigs, and other material to the ground, it piles up. This material is called leaf litter.

Detailed explanation-2: -Humus (“HYOO-mus”) is decayed organic material, the remains of dead plants, animals, and other creatures. It’s the humus that gives rich soils their characteristic dark brown color. The complex organic compounds in humus contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen-the stuff of life.

Detailed explanation-3: -In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Latin word for “earth” or “ground".

Detailed explanation-4: -The uppermost layer of the soil is called topsoil and this layer contains humus, plant roots, and living creatures.

Detailed explanation-5: -Decomposition of organic matter is a process, which includes mostly physical breakdown and biochemical transformation of complex organic molecules into simpler organic and inorganic molecules.