Aggregatusphere

Aggregates are what makes soil so distinct. Soil is not silt, sand or clay or a mixture of them -but these 'blocky' structures.

They give soil the unique properties of resilience and strength as well as pores in which life can occur.

The are also called 'peds' which gives the science of soils 'pedology'

There are two main sorts of aggregates - micro and macro.

Micro-aggregates are basicall clay particles 'flat with large surface area,  glued together by springtail poo - the very sticky GRSP.

As larger particles like silt and sand become incorporated, fungal hyphae help bind the macro particles