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GCSE Geography · key term
Decomposed organic matter in soil, formed from dead plant and animal material.
Used by Edexcel and OCR
Specification 3.6 · Paper 1
Revise: Deciduous Woodland FeaturesFallen leaves and other dead material are broken down by decomposers, including fungi and bacteria. This produces humus and releases nutrients. Earthworms help mix organic material with mineral particles from weathered rock.
Specification 4.2a · Paper 1, Paper 3
Decayed organic matter in soil.
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Below it is a thin topsoil containing humus, or decayed organic matter. Beneath this lies a much deeper subsoil with relatively few nutrients. The underlying rock is far below the surface, so it does not readily replenish nutrients in the thin upper layer.