Soil organic matter is a mixture of naturally occurring materials, including plant and animal remains. It is the product of decay processes that are continuously occurring. It's nature's way of cleaning the environment. The type of vegetation, the nature of the soil population, drainage, rainfall, temperature, and management, all affects the kind and amount of the organic matter. A soil developed under deciduous forest in a cool humid climate obtains most of its organic matter from the leaf fall on its surface, and the organic matter is concentrated in the upper few inches of the soil. A grass/prairie soil receives residues from a large mass of fibrous roots and has fairly uniform distribution of organic matter to a considerable depth. Little organic matter is found in arid soils where vegetation is sparse, because the raw materials are lacking. Organic matter has been called the storehouse of nutrients. It is vital to soil because it improves the tilth, structure and water holding capacity of the soil, aids is nitrogen fixation, makes nutrients available to plants, and helps to control soilborne plant disease
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