It is equal to an employee's rate of basic pay for his or her position (see definition of rate of basic pay) (exclusive of any premiums or differentials paid at less than the basic rate) except for an employee who is authorized annual premium pay for scheduled standby duty or AUO.
All soil is full of life, and good soils are teeming with it. Plants and animals help keep the soil fertile. Plant roots tunnel through the soil and break it up, and decaying plants form humus. Burrowing animals mix the soil; the excrete of animals contribute nutrients and improve soil structure.
There are three basic things that cause acidic soil. The first, and most common, is simply that the organic matter and minerals that break down in a soil over time are acidic in nature, and make the soil acidic. This is common in pine forests and peat bogs.