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.
Soil is essential for plant growth for several reasons. Soil provides plant roots with nutrients, water and air. Soil also serves to anchor the plant. There are different types of soil, and it is very common to find the foundation soil around your house to differ from your property line soil. Soil is comprised of three mineral particle sizes: sand, silt and clay. Large, course mineral particles are sand, fine mineral particles are silt, and very fine mineral particles are clay. An ideal soil is composed of 45 percent mineral (sand, silt and clay), five percent organic material (humus or plant debris and soil organisms), 25 percent water and 25 percent air.