Soil vs. Land: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on September 26, 2023
Soil is the top layer of earth where plants grow, and land is a larger area of the earth's surface not covered by water.
Key Differences
Soil and land are interconnected but signify different concepts. Soil refers to the uppermost layer of the earth's crust, rich in organic materials and minerals, providing the necessary nutrients for plants to grow. It is a living, dynamic system crucial for supporting life. In contrast, land refers to the solid surface of the earth that isn't covered by water, extending to include the natural resources it harbors. It is more about the geographical and ownership aspects, including mountains, valleys, and plains.
Soil is characterized by its composition, texture, and the ability to retain water and nutrients, crucial for agriculture and natural vegetation. It goes through processes like erosion, percolation, and nutrient cycling, playing a vital role in the ecosystem. On the other hand, land is valued for its spatial attributes, usability, and the resources it contains. It is an essential asset for humans, providing space for living, agriculture, and development.
When assessing soil, the focus is on its quality, fertility, and health, as it directly affects plant growth and productivity. Soil health is pivotal for sustainable agriculture and ecological balance. However, when assessing land, the considerations revolve around its location, size, and value. It is often evaluated for its potential uses, including residential, commercial, agricultural, or recreational.
Understanding the interaction between soil and land is crucial for sustainable development and environmental conservation. Healthy soil contributes to land productivity, supporting biodiversity, water filtration, and carbon sequestration. Conversely, the way land is managed and utilized has a direct impact on soil health, affecting erosion rates, fertility, and the overall ecosystem balance.
The relationship between soil and land is symbiotic, with each influencing the other's state and functionality. While soil is integral to the productivity and ecological balance of the land, land management practices are critical in maintaining soil health, preventing degradation, and ensuring the sustainability of our environment and resources.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
The upper layer of earth that plants grow in.
The part of the earth's surface not covered by water.
Role in Ecosystem
Provides nutrients and support to plants.
Offers space and resources.
Valuation
Valued for its fertility and composition.
Valued for location, size, and potential uses.
Assessment Focus
Assessed for quality, fertility, and health.
Evaluated for usability and value.
Composition
Consists of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms.
Can include various geographical features and resources.
ADVERTISEMENT
Soil and Land Definitions
Soil
Soil is the earth’s top layer, suitable for plant growth.
Healthy soil is crucial for productive agriculture.
Land
Land is ground used for a specific purpose.
This land is designated for agricultural use.
Soil
Soil is the medium in which plants grow.
The soil needs to be watered regularly for optimal plant growth.
Land
Land is a property or possession signifying ownership.
He owns a piece of land in the countryside.
Soil
The top layer of the earth's surface in which plants can grow, consisting of rock and mineral particles mixed with decayed organic matter and having the capability of retaining water.
Land
The solid ground of the earth.
Soil
A particular kind of earth or ground
Sandy soil.
Land
Ground or soil
Tilled the land.
Soil
Country; land
Native soil.
Land
A topographically or functionally distinct tract
Desert land.
Prime building land.
Soil
The agricultural life
A man of the soil.
Land
A nation; a country.
Soil
A place or condition favorable to growth; a breeding ground.
Land
The people of a nation, district, or region.
Soil
The state of being soiled.
Land
Lands Territorial possessions or property.
Soil
A stain.
Land
Public or private landed property; real estate.
Soil
Filth, sewage, or refuse.
Land
(Law) The solid material of the earth as well as the natural and manmade things attached to it and the rights and interests associated with it.
Soil
Manure, especially human excrement, used as fertilizer.
Land
An agricultural or farming area
Wanted to buy a house on the land.
Soil
To make dirty, particularly on the surface.
Land
Farming considered as a way of life.
Soil
To disgrace; tarnish
A reputation soiled by scandal.
Land
An area or realm
The land of make-believe.
The land of television.
Soil
To corrupt; defile.
Land
The raised portion of a grooved surface, as on a phonograph record.
Soil
To dirty with excrement.
Land
To bring to and unload on land
Land cargo.
Soil
To become dirty, stained, or tarnished.
Land
To set (a vehicle) down on land or another surface
Land an airplane smoothly.
Land a seaplane on a lake.
Soil
To feed (livestock) with soilage.
Land
(Informal) To cause to arrive in a place or condition
Civil disobedience will land you in jail.
Soil
(uncountable) A mixture of mineral particles and organic material, used to support plant growth.
Land
To catch and pull in (a fish)
Landed a big catfish.
Soil
(uncountable) The unconsolidated mineral or organic material on the immediate surface of the earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.
Land
(Informal) To win; secure
Land a big contract.
Soil
(uncountable) The unconsolidated mineral or organic matter on the surface of the earth that has been subjected to and shows effects of genetic and environmental factors of: climate (including water and temperature effects), and macro- and microorganisms, conditioned by relief, acting on parent material over a period of time. A product-soil differs from the material from which it is derived in many physical, chemical, biological, and morphological properties and characteristics.
Land
(Informal) To deliver
Landed a blow on his opponent's head.
Soil
Country or territory.
Land
To come to shore
Landed against the current with great difficulty.
Soil
That which soils or pollutes; a stain.
Land
To disembark
Landed at a crowded dock.
Soil
A marshy or miry place to which a hunted boar resorts for refuge; hence, a wet place, stream, or tract of water, sought for by other game, as deer.
Land
To descend toward and settle onto the ground or another surface
The helicopter has landed.
Soil
Dung; compost; manure.
Land
(Informal) To arrive in a place or condition
Landed at the theater too late for the opening curtain.
Landed in trouble for being late.
Soil
Faeces or urine etc. when found on clothes.
Land
To come to rest in a certain way or place
Slipped and landed on his shoulder.
Soil
A bag containing soiled items.
Land
The part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water.
Most insects live on land.
Soil
A wet or marshy place in which a boar or other such game seeks refuge when hunted.
Land
Real estate or landed property; a partitioned and measurable area which is owned and acquired and on which buildings and structures can be built and erected.
There are 50 acres of land in this estate.
Soil
(transitive) To make dirty.
Land
A country or region.
They come from a faraway land.
Soil
(intransitive) To become dirty or soiled.
Land
A person's country of origin and/or homeplace; homeland.
Soil
To stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully.
Land
The soil, in respect to its nature or quality for farming.
Wet land; good or bad land for growing potatoes
Soil
(reflexive) To dirty one's clothing by accidentally defecating while clothed.
Land
Realm, domain.
I'm going to Disneyland.
Maybe that's how it works in TV-land, but not in the real world.
Soil
To make invalid, to ruin.
Land
(agriculture) The ground left unploughed between furrows; any of several portions into which a field is divided for ploughing.
Soil
To enrich with soil or muck; to manure.
Land
A shock or fright.
He got an awful land when the police arrived.
Soil
To feed, as cattle or horses, in the barn or an enclosure, with fresh grass or green food cut for them, instead of sending them out to pasture; hence (due to such food having the effect of purging them) to purge by feeding on green food.
Land
(electronics) A conducting area on a board or chip which can be used for connecting wires.
Soil
To feed, as cattle or horses, in the barn or an inclosure, with fresh grass or green food cut for them, instead of sending them out to pasture; hence (such food having the effect of purging them), to purge by feeding on green food; as, to soil a horse.
Land
On a compact disc or similar recording medium, an area of the medium which does not have pits.
Soil
To enrich with soil or muck; to manure.
Men . . . soil their ground, not that they love the dirt, but that they expect a crop.
Land
(travel) The non-airline portion of an itinerary. Hotel, tours, cruises, etc.
Our city offices sell a lot more land than our suburban offices.
Soil
To make dirty or unclean on the surface; to foul; to dirty; to defile; as, to soil a garment with dust.
Our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained.
Land
(obsolete) The ground or floor.
Soil
To stain or mar, as with infamy or disgrace; to tarnish; to sully.
Land
(nautical) The lap of the strakes in a clinker-built boat; the lap of plates in an iron vessel; called also landing.
Soil
To become soiled; as, light colors soil sooner than dark ones.
Land
In any surface prepared with indentations, perforations, or grooves, that part of the surface which is not so treated, such as the level part of a millstone between the furrows.
Soil
The upper stratum of the earth; the mold, or that compound substance which furnishes nutriment to plants, or which is particularly adapted to support and nourish them.
Land
(ballistics) The space between the rifling grooves in a gun.
Soil
Land; country.
Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus leaveThee, native soil?
Land
A group of dwellings or tenements under one roof and having a common entry.
Soil
Dung; fæces; compost; manure; as, night soil.
Improve land by dung and other sort of soils.
Land
Lant; urine
Soil
A marshy or miry place to which a hunted boar resorts for refuge; hence, a wet place, stream, or tract of water, sought for by other game, as deer.
As deer, being stuck, fly through many soils,Yet still the shaft sticks fast.
O, sir, have you taken soil here? It is well a man may reach you after three hours' running.
Land
(intransitive) To descend to a surface, especially from the air.
The plane is about to land.
Soil
That which soils or pollutes; a soiled place; spot; stain.
A lady's honor . . . will not bear a soil.
Land
(dated) To alight, to descend from a vehicle.
Soil
The state of being covered with unclean things
Land
(intransitive) To come into rest.
Soil
The part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
Land
(intransitive) To arrive on land, especially a shore or dock, from a body of water.
Soil
Material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use);
The land had never been plowed
Good agricultural soil
Land
(transitive) To bring to land.
It can be tricky to land a helicopter.
Use the net to land the fish.
Soil
The geographical area under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state;
American troops were stationed on Japanese soil
Land
To capture or arrest.
Soil
Make soiled, filthy, or dirty;
Don't soil your clothes when you play outside!
Land
(transitive) To acquire; to secure.
Soil
Soil is the mixture of minerals, organic matter, and living organisms on the ground.
The soil in the garden is fertile and well-drained.
Land
To succeed in having sexual relations with; to score
Too ugly to ever land a chick
Soil
Soil is the recipient of fallen leaves and decaying animals and plants.
The decomposition of organic matter enriches the soil.
Land
(transitive) (of a blow) To deliver.
If you land a knockout blow, you’ll win the match
Soil
Soil is a habitat for many organisms like worms and insects.
Many soil-dwelling organisms contribute to soil fertility.
Land
(intransitive) (of a punch) To connect
If the punches land, you might lose a few teeth!
Land
(intransitive) To go down well with an audience.
Some of the comedian's jokes failed to land.
Land
Urine. See Lant.
Land
The solid part of the surface of the earth; - opposed to water as constituting a part of such surface, especially to oceans and seas; as, to sight land after a long voyage.
They turn their heads to sea, their sterns to land.
Land
Any portion, large or small, of the surface of the earth, considered by itself, or as belonging to an individual or a people, as a country, estate, farm, or tract.
Go view the land, even Jericho.
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,Where wealth accumulates and men decay.
A poor parson dwelling upon land [i.e., in the country].
Land
Ground, in respect to its nature or quality; soil; as, wet land; good or bad land.
Land
The inhabitants of a nation or people.
These answers, in the silent night received,The king himself divulged, the land believed.
Land
The mainland, in distinction from islands.
Land
The ground or floor.
Herself upon the land she did prostrate.
Land
The ground left unplowed between furrows; any one of several portions into which a field is divided for convenience in plowing.
Land
Any ground, soil, or earth whatsoever, as meadows, pastures, woods, etc., and everything annexed to it, whether by nature, as trees, water, etc., or by the hand of man, as buildings, fences, etc.; real estate.
Land
The lap of the strakes in a clinker-built boat; the lap of plates in an iron vessel; - called also landing.
Land
In any surface prepared with indentations, perforations, or grooves, that part of the surface which is not so treated, as the level part of a millstone between the furrows, or the surface of the bore of a rifled gun between the grooves.
Land
To set or put on shore from a ship or other water craft; to disembark; to debark.
I 'll undertake to land them on our coast.
Land
To catch and bring to shore; to capture; as, to land a fish.
Land
To set down after conveying; to cause to fall, alight, or reach; to bring to the end of a course; as, he landed the quoit near the stake; to be thrown from a horse and landed in the mud; to land one in difficulties or mistakes.
Land
To pilot (an airplane) from the air onto the land; as, to land the plane on a highway.
Land
To come to the end of a course; to arrive at a destination, literally or figuratively; as, he landed in trouble; after hithchiking for a week, he landed in Los Angeles.
Land
To go on shore from a ship or boat; to disembark.
Land
To reach and come to rest on land after having been in the air; as, the arrow landed in a flower bed; the golf ball landed in a sand trap; our airplane landed in Washington.
Land
The land on which real estate is located;
He built the house on land leased from the city
Land
Material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow (especially with reference to its quality or use);
The land had never been plowed
Good agricultural soil
Land
The solid part of the earth's surface;
The plane turned away from the sea and moved back over land
The earth shook for several minutes
He dropped the logs on the ground
Land
Territory over which rule or control is exercised;
His domain extended into Europe
He made it the law of the land
Land
The territory occupied by a nation;
He returned to the land of his birth
He visited several European countries
Land
A domain in which something is dominant;
The untroubled kingdom of reason
A land of make-believe
The rise of the realm of cotton in the south
Land
Extensive landed property (especially in the country) retained by the owner for his own use;
The family owned a large estate on Long Island
Land
The people who live in a nation or country;
A statement that sums up the nation's mood
The news was announced to the nation
The whole country worshipped him
Land
A politically organized body of people under a single government;
The state has elected a new president
African nations
Students who had come to the nation's capitol
The country's largest manufacturer
An industrialized land
Land
United States inventor who incorporated Polaroid film into lenses and invented the one-step photographic process (1909-1991)
Land
Working the land as an occupation or way of life;
Farming is a strenuous life
There's no work on the land any more
Land
Reach or come to rest;
The bird landed on the highest branch
The plane landed in Istanbul
Land
Cause to come to the ground;
The pilot managed to land the airplane safely
Land
Bring into a different state;
This may land you in jail
Land
Bring ashore;
The drug smugglers landed the heroin on the beach of the island
Land
Deliver (a blow);
He landed several blows on his opponent's head
Land
Arrive on shore;
The ship landed in Pearl Harbor
Land
Shoot at and force to come down;
The enemy landed several of our aircraft
Land
Relating to or characteristic of or occurring on land;
Land vehicles
Sea stories
Sea smells
Sea traffic
Land
Operating or living or growing in water;
Boats are aquatic vehicles
Water lilies are aquatic plants
Fish are aquatic animals
Land
Land is the solid part of the earth’s surface.
The land here is arid and barren.
Land
Land is an area not covered by water.
We need to protect our land resources sustainably.
Land
Land is a country or state.
This land has a rich cultural heritage.
FAQs
Does Soil only exist on land?
Yes, soil is found on land, covering the uppermost layer of the earth's crust.
Can Soil type affect land value?
Yes, the type and quality of soil can significantly affect land value and its uses.
Can Land be owned by individuals?
Yes, land can be owned by individuals, entities, or governments.
Does Land include bodies of water?
No, land typically refers to parts of the earth's surface not submerged under water.
Can Land be fertile or infertile?
Land's fertility is usually determined by the soil it contains, which can be fertile or infertile.
Is Land always solid?
Yes, land refers to the solid surface of the earth not covered by water.
Is Soil conservation important for land management?
Absolutely, soil conservation is crucial in maintaining land productivity and ecological balance.
Is Land renewable?
Land is finite, but sustainable land management can preserve its utility and health.
Is Soil always fertile?
No, soil fertility varies and can be affected by human activity and environmental factors.
Does Soil impact agricultural productivity?
Yes, soil quality and type are critical factors in agricultural productivity.
Can Soil support buildings and structures?
Yes, soil stability and composition are critical in supporting buildings and other structures.
Can Land exist without soil?
Yes, land can exist without soil, such as in rocky or sandy terrains.
Is Soil a renewable resource?
Soil is considered a non-renewable resource as it forms extremely slowly.
Can Land be created or destroyed?
Land can be altered and reshaped, but its total area remains constant.
Does Soil vary by region?
Yes, soil types and characteristics can vary significantly by region due to climatic and environmental differences.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
