Why is soil considered to be a nonrenewable natural resource? Responses It takes so long to form. It takes so long to form. - no response given It is easily transported. It is easily transported. - no response given It uses a lot of Earth’s energy. It uses a lot of Earth’s energy. - no response given It can never be replaced.

1 answer

Soil is considered a nonrenewable natural resource primarily because it takes a very long time to form. The process of soil formation can take hundreds to thousands of years, depending on various factors like climate, parent material, topography, organisms, and time. This slow formation process means that once soil is degraded or lost due to erosion, pollution, or other human activities, it cannot be quickly or easily replaced.

The other statements you provided don't accurately reflect why soil is considered nonrenewable. While soil can be transported, this does not contribute to its nonrenewable status. Similarly, while soil formation does utilize energy from the Earth, this is not a reason for its classification as a nonrenewable resource. Lastly, the statement "it can never be replaced" is misleading; while soil takes a long time to form, it is still possible for new soil to develop, albeit over a very long time scale.