Organisms (O)

The soil forming factor “o”, organisms, includes animals, plants, and microorganisms that affect soil formation. Sometimes a certain kind of soil does not develop without influence from a certain type of organism.

In personal history, organisms include:

Non-family people (family members are included in “parent material”) including lovers, mentors, teachers, colleagues, friends and enemies.
Communities to which we belong or have belonged.
Important animals, pets and plants.
Competition between one person and another for limited resources, or “nutrient dynamics”
“Decomposers” as people who help an individual to remove elements of their lives that no longer serve them.

Here are some maps and images created by students as they explored the variable “organisms”