Humus
Organic matter in soils resulting from decay of plant and animal materials / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In classical[1] 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".[2]
In agriculture, "humus" sometimes also is used to describe mature or natural compost extracted from a woodland or other spontaneous source for use as a soil conditioner.[3] It is also used to describe a topsoil horizon that contains organic matter (humus type,[4] humus form,[5] or humus profile[6]).
Humus has many nutrients that improve the health of soil, nitrogen being the most important. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N) of humus commonly ranges between 8:1 and 15:1 with the median being about 12:1.[7] It also significantly affects the bulk density of soil. Humus is amorphous and lacks the cellular structure characteristic of plants, microorganisms or animals.[8]