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.
Why Is Soil Important? One of the most important natural resources is soil. Most life on earth depends upon the soil for food. Plants are rooted in the soil and get nutrients (nourishing substances) from it. Animals also get nutrients from eating the plants that grow in the soil. Soil is home to many organisms such as seeds, spores, insects, and worms.