Is soil a nonrenewable resource?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking whether soil can be classified as a nonrenewable resource, which involves understanding the definitions and characteristics of renewable and nonrenewable resources in the context of soil's formation and depletion.
Answer
Soil is considered a nonrenewable resource.
Soil is considered a nonrenewable resource because its formation takes a very long time—hundreds to millions of years—which is not recoverable within a human lifespan.
Answer for screen readers
Soil is considered a nonrenewable resource because its formation takes a very long time—hundreds to millions of years—which is not recoverable within a human lifespan.
More Information
Although soil has the capability to regenerate over time through natural processes, the rate at which this occurs is so slow that it is effectively nonrenewable on a human time scale.
Tips
A common mistake is to assume that because soil can regenerate, it is renewable within a useful time frame, but the slow formation process makes it practically nonrenewable.
Sources
- Soil and Water Resources - LibreTexts - bio.libretexts.org
- Soil is a non-renewable resource - FAO Knowledge Repository - openknowledge.fao.org
- Why is soil considered to be a nonrenewable resource? - Quora - quora.com
