Soil and Land Use
Soil is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, water and air, and land use describes how people use land for farming, housing or industry.
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Soil is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, water and air, and land use describes how people use land for farming, housing or industry.
- Fertile soil holds nutrients and water
- Land use changes with demand
- Soil erosion damages farmland
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Soil and Land Use?
Within Geography, which covers maps, landforms, weather, climate, population and settlements: understand how our planet and people connect, this topic explains Soil and Land Use. Geography explains how places, people and natural processes connect, so each topic here combines a clear definition with a visual model.
Check that you can explain Soil and Land Use in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Soil and Land Use helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
Soil and Land Use in detail
Soil is a mixture of weathered rock, organic matter, water, air and living organisms. It forms in layers called a soil profile, with a topsoil rich in humus, a subsoil and bedrock. Soil types differ in texture (sand, silt, clay), fertility and drainage, and these control what can be grown.
Land use is how land is used, including farming, housing, industry, recreation and conservation, and is decided by physical factors, such as slope, soil and climate, and human factors, such as demand, cost and planning. Soil erosion caused by overgrazing, ploughing and deforestation is a threat, so conservation measures such as terracing, contour ploughing and crop rotation are used.
How the interactive helps you understand Soil and Land Use
Click a card to flip it and reveal the answer, then move on to the next one.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Soil and Land Use.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain how Soil and Land Use affects people, jobs and land use in a region.
- Support an answer about Soil and Land Use with a named case study and specific evidence.
- Interpret a graph or map that shows Soil and Land Use and say what it suggests.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing up cause, effect and consequence when you explain Soil and Land Use.
- Writing general statements without a named place or example.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Soil and Land Use
What is Soil and Land Use?
Soil is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, water and air, and land use describes how people use land for farming, housing or industry.
What are the most important points about Soil and Land Use?
The main points are: Fertile soil holds nutrients and water; Land use changes with demand; Soil erosion damages farmland.
Why is Soil and Land Use useful?
Understanding Soil and Land Use helps you explain patterns on maps and in the news, and make reasoned decisions about places and environments.
How can I practise Soil and Land Use?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Soil and Land Use?
Related topics in Geography include Mining and Quarrying, The Demographic Transition Model, Migration.