The solid content of soils is broadly classified as organic and inorganic. Materials of organic origin range from fresh plant tissue to the more or less stable black or brown degradation product (humus) formed by biological decay. The organic matter is a potential source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur; it contains more than 95 percent of the total nitrogen, 5 to 60 percent of the total phosphorus, and 10 to 80 percent of the total sulfur.